[TowerTalk] Hi-Tech Station Cost

[Tom Rauch]

It appears we read far too many advertisements, and take them far 
too seriously!!!


<italic><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>> To put this estimate in even more prospective, one can install a 5 band 2

> element quad (I've added 6M also) with individually driven DE's with a

> coax switch at the beam like Antenna Mart has, a 35-50' tower next to the

> house, rotator and coax for about $1500 which is a great bargain.  This

> will work the world like few have ever experienced with virtually no

> maintenance.  They are built for Longevity and retiree

> budgets--physically, financially and socially.  


</italic></color>At some heights, a two element quad has just over one dB gain 
advantage over a two element yagi. At some heights, there is no 
advantage at all. So the real gain advantage of a two element quad 
over a two element yagi is somewhere between zero and just over 
one dB! Of course the advantage is less with a larger antenna.

<italic><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param> 

> To beat this beam or similar ones like the RaiBeam or HexBeam (or Moxon

> who no one builds commercially), you need mono-banders of more elements,

> all the associated costs, the land and permission to install it all

> physically and financially from you know who--the XYL.  They frequently

> don't like the looks of this new aluminum mistress and it's cost in money

> and time.  If the wife ever saw what it really costs for a few more Ego

> Boasting dB's toy that reduced your time with her, you could lose it all

> in a divorce.  


</italic></color>Two element beams work like two element beams. Two element 
shortened beams work like two element shortened beams.


It's certainly possible to have a yagi or quad antenna that is a "dog" 
due to poor construction or installation, but it is absolutely NOT 
possible to have one that breaks the laws of electromagnetics and 
works better than a longer boom antenna that is properly 
constructed and installed. 

<italic><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param> 

> For 20-30 dB more $$$, all you gain is 2-4 more "line of sight gain",

> sharpening of the vertical pattern which gives what I call more "DX Gain"

> based on many comparisons and a lower angle of radiation which puts one in

> sooner and holds one in later needed to be competitive in contests.  You

> will hear stuff the lower ones don't hear.  The lower and fewer element

> beams seem to take over during the day in the contest.  So all this

> investment only really helped your signal mostly during the opening and

> closing of the band.  Disturbing isn't it?  



</italic>$15k-$150k (assuming you are talking dB as in power ratio, not 
voltage or current ratios) is a wide range in cost. </color>


My HF antennas, basically four element monobanders from 
Force12 and a three element yagi on 40, will work better all through 
band openings than any two element quad, yagi, or shortened yagi 
at equal height no matter what any advertising department would 
have us believe....and they cost a whole lot less than the $15k 
lower limit you set. 


It's mostly a fantasy created in marketing departments and 
repeated by people who own the small "magic" antennas that small 
antennas, through some black-magic buzz-word science that 
amounts to shaking a dead chicken over hot coals, can out-perform 
a properly constructed larger antenna under any typical operating 
conditions. 


<italic><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>> Now there are a couple a ways to get a lower angle of radiation from lower

> heights.  Vertically polarized beams is one.  (The others are trade

> secrets?) 


</italic></color>Maybe on 160 meters or 80 meters that would work, but we'd loose 
ground reflection gain with vertical polarization on higher 
frequencies. You might lower the angle of maximum radiation, but 
the absolute level of signal...the only important parameter....would 
also be less.


As to the "trade secrets", you can be sure the special claims are 
really "trade fantasies" written by advertising departments.

<nofill>
73, Tom W8JI
w8ji@contesting.com

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