[TowerTalk] Re: Can takeoff angle be too low?

[K3BU@aol.com]

> Here is more corroborating evidence that a LOW
>  antenna is sometimes best during daytime operation
>  on the high bands.  In this case, N2IC/0 found a 6L10
>  at 45 ft was better than his high KT34XA stacks to Europe 
>  on 10 Meters during the CQ WW CW DX Contest in November
>  where he set a new all time W0 record.
>  
>  Any other similar observations?
>  
>  de  Tom  N4KG
>  

The subject line is actually as meaningful as "Can Ferrari be too fast?"
Many people forget or get brainwashed that "all DX is coming at low angle" - 
yes and no, it depends. We have this wonderful, crazy, unpredictable thing 
called propagation. Signals are coming and going at various angles, through 
various modes, layers, reflecting, ducting etc.
Having stacked Razors and observing various conditions I found that there are 
times when DX like UA9 could be coming through better on the lower antenna, 
while OK at the same time would be better on high or stack. I also found that 
there is more disagreement between angles on receive and transmit with the 
same station, then is generally thought, about 70% of the time I found there 
was a difference. In the contest I would do quick switch and ask for report, 
then I would transmit on the louder antenna on TX and receive whatever gave 
me better RX signal.
For casual DXer no big deal, for serious (nuts) contester, you will never 
have enough antennas! The more antennas you have, the better you can adjust 
to momentary propagation conditions and take advantage of scoring. Generally 
during sunspot maxima, angles get higher, during minima, they get lower and 
that's when stacks start working things that other mortals can't even hear. 
With this sunspot cycle (which "experts" predicted to be really high) that is 
trying to be high, but never got there, we are seeing some weird openings, 
mostly suppressed from what we would expect or are used to from the past 
really good cycles. There also appears to be hysteresis so don't write the 
10m off yet. ("Experts" are saying now that we may already have passed the 
peak). Let the experts play with numbers, we will watch the momentary and 27 
day old figures.
The morale for serious record cracking contest nuts is, get as many antennas 
as you can (or better, antennas that can cover variety of angles) and you 
have to be there when IT happens. We are on the mercy of good solar flux 
numbers falling on that 48 hour weekend and should watch for predicted 
disturbances, with right timing you might be able to take the waves for a 
ride to a record. Actually Yuri says that when we get disturbance, the 
propagation is so good, that waves do not get refracted or trapped in the 
layers, they go "away" way up to space and VHF frequencies. Just when the 
propagation is coming back, why is it that first the high bands come back 
(from VE3 that was Indian Ocean stuff) and then the rest becomes "normal."
I still stand behind "my" ducting propagation theory, it explains more things 
than "bouncing" theory. I am not saying that bouncing is not happening, I am 
saying that there is more ducting, refracting through/in layers than we are 
led to believe. If you missed my 1980 "thought provoking" CQ article, it is 
at 
 <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/ve3bmv/index.htm">VE3BMV Home</A> 
So the low angles could be too low, when propagation is happening at higher 
angles. Then slobs with low antennas can take frequency away from the killer 
stacks. But if you have all angles covered - you da king!

Merry Christmas to all TowerTalkers!

from K3BU family
Yuri and rest of the still unlicensed bunch

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