Fw: Re: [TowerTalk] News from Bencher

[Dave]

Natan Huffman wrote:

> Dave,
>
> We have not specified our antennas that way for about two years now.  Of
> course the practicality of the issue really begs consideration as most
> people don't measure VSWR at the antenna terminals.

Most people don't measure antenna gain either.

> Would you like a new
> catalog so you can be "up to date?"
>
> Per our brochure 2000, ----- "VSWR (max) is the highest value (usually at
> the band edged) for a typical installation through a balun or RF choke.
> Within the band, the VSWR will usually approach 1:1.  The actual VSWR
> measured might be lower than these values, because coax has a small amount
> of loss and this acts to smooth out the VSWR curve."
>

It's nice to know that your're responsive and that I finaly got through. I'll
look for the corrected vswr numbers.

>
> We specify the Maximum VSWR, not the minimum!  Now just how "truer" can we
> be Dave?
>

That, I fully appreciate. Some other manufacturers spec the minimum at some spot
frequency.

>
> As far as measuring the antenna gain at the feedpoint.........well, I just
> don't know how to respond to that one.
>
> By the way, our commercial customers do ask for VSWR specifications at the
> end of some specified cable.  Guess our "commercials" just don't have the
> same sense of humor that your commercial antenna customers do!

Guess not. I'm use to dealing with demanding customers in the military and
aerospace field.

>
> Finally, if you really believe the cumulative loss of a trapped antenna is 1
> dB, I would like to tell you just how Miller Lite is a premium pilsner and a
> national treasure.
>

That's silly. Everyone knows a Miller Lite is a type of moth!

>
> 73
>
> Natan W6XR/2
> FORCE 12 East
> Ithaca, NY
> force12@qth.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave" <depagnier@uswest.net>
> To: "Natan Huffman" <force12e@lightlink.com>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2000 11:33 PM
> Subject: Re: Fw: Re: [TowerTalk] News from Bencher
>
> >
> >
> >
> > Natan Huffman wrote:
> >
> > > Pete and all,
> > >
> > > If you review our literature in a comparison to other manufacturers, you
> > > will see that our gain claims much less than our competitors.  A
> > > sophisticated buyer of an antenna can "wade through" the mire of
> inflated
> > > and untruthful ad copy, but, the a large part of the buying public will
> buy
> > > based on ad claims.  If we were to include our verified gain claims in
> > > advertising in QST and NCJ, our "lower" gain numbers would reach a
> greater
> > > audience.  A customer may well look at our numbers and then compare our
> > > numbers to a catalog or web page of one of our competitors where the
> > > customer sees our products have "less gain" than others.  We have
> position
> > > with the sophisticated buyer, but Joe Six-pack makes his decision based
> on
> > > what he sees in the catalog or another magazine such as CQ.
> > >
> >
> > Ahem...I own a brewery and I like good beer so you might call me a "Joe
> > Six-pack". However, in as much as I like and believe in Force12 antennas,
> I
> > still wish the gain and vswr specs were "truer". What I mean here is that
> > Force12 continues to specify antenna gain at the antenna feedpoint and
> vswr with
> > 100' of RG-8 thrown in between the measurement device and the antenna.
> This will
> > of course improve the vswr numbers because about 1dB of loss is being
> added to
> > the system. That's probably about equivalent to adding traps to the
> system. You
> > can't have it both ways; either the antenna gain and swr should be
> specified at
> > the antenna feedpoint, or if you must, specify them both at the feedline
> input,
> > with the associated1dB gain hit. Quite frankly, if commercial
> manufacturers
> > specified their antennas that way, they would be laughed right out of
> business.
> >
> > 73,
> > Dave
> > K0QE
> >
> >
> > --
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> > Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
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> > Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> >


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