[TowerTalk] C3 vs tennadyne - "today's average array"

Curtis, David B david.b.curtis@intel.com
Wed, 6 Oct 1999 09:58:20 -0700


Well, the big antenna farms are certainly highly visible, in part because
the owners are quite justifiably proud of them so we hear about them, and
also because a station like this does not sit idle on contest weekends, so
they post some good scores on a regular basis. 

But... in our club there are a lot of kick-butt scores (on a relatve basis)
from tri-bander & wires stations. I believe that is still all most people
have the space/time/budget to build and maintain.  I'm sure it is the same
elsewhere.  Yes, bigger & more antennas will win over these stations. But
when it gets down to brass tacks, 24 hours of butt-in-seat and an attitude
that you *can* do better than last year with what you've got it what makes a
kick-butt score.

So.. long and rambling and philosophical, but I would bet that a tri-bander
and wires at a modest height is still the norm for most hams.  And a
discussion of how to do the best possible within that set of
space/budget/maintenance-time constraints is going to be worthwhile to a lot
of folks.

73, Dave N6NZ
n6nz@arrl.net

-----Original Message-----
From: alsopb [mailto:alsopb@gloryroad.net]
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 1999 9:11 AM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] C3 vs tennadyne



Guys,

Don't your yearn for the days were a tribander at
40' was nearly king of the hill? (Late 50's &
early 60's with super sunspot cycles)

Comparing like-sized antennas is fine but it is a
big cruel world out there with lots of tall, big
and stacked arrays.  Like it or not those are the
guys you compete against.  You aren't going to
"kick butt" with an 12' boom antenna.  Wishful
thinking isn't going to change the outcome.

Comparisons with bigger arrays is also needed so
one can get a realistic assessment of how well you
can likely compete with the multitude.  Also it
provides some info on just what it will take
(cost) to become more competitive. 

I really wonder what the "average array" looks
like today.  5 elements on 20 at 100' or what?

de Brian/K3KO

--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com
Search:                   http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm

--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com
Search:                   http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm