[TowerTalk] horizontally polarized antennas and salt water

[W4ZW]

 I'm oceanfront  here on Casey key Island in the Gulf of Mexico with Ocean
or bay in all directions but NNW since the island runs toward that
direction.  I'm on the southern tip.  Purely anecdotal, but I can be in a
QSO with a JA on my mobile with perfect Q5 signals, drive over the bridge
onto the mainland and he'll almost disappear within a 1/2 mile.  I can do a
U turn, drive back and listen to him come back up to Q5 when I'm back the
island.  Sure, there could be a lot of reasons for this,  ground clutter, RF
reflections, etc  but that clear path straight out over the Gulf works
great, especially on the low bands.  40 meters is usually my best band here
with either a 2 el 402CD at about 100' ASL, or a bobtail at 75' ASL.   

Until the hurricanes blew through, I enjoyed a very QRN quiet QTH as well.
Now, for the first time in 9 years,   I can hear the power line noise
creating by all that wind toward land and to the East over the bay.   I turn
the beams out over the Gulf and it's ham Nirvana, quiet and great
propagation.  I've operated from all over the world, and give me an
oceanfront QTH anytime.  I call it nature's amp.

YMMV,

Jon Hamlet, W4ZW

Casey Key Island, FL
"A little piece of paradise in the Gulf of Mexico"