[TowerTalk] vertical dipole

[Jim Jarvis]

My experience with 40m vertical dipoles vs. horizontal
dipoles with centers at the same height (50') is that signals
inside of 4-5k miles are down by 4-6 dB.  Sometimes more.

Signals beyond that...out around 8-10k miles start coming
up noticeably.  

I ran skeds with Hong Kong from NJ, on 40cw both long and 
short path, using a vertical dipole, and with a nearby station 
using a CC 2 el 40 @ 70'.  I was never weaker than he, and usually
3dB or more louder.  Into EU, 4k miles away, he was usually 
louder by 2dB or perhaps a bit more.   Stateside, he'd always
beat me.  

It's a tossup...the really long stuff doesn't come through 
all that often, so if you can only have one antenna, you need
to decide whether to favor long haul or not.  

Jim Lux's comments regarding efficiency and first-reflection
losses are correct.  In my view, however, by raising the antenna
higher, you minimize the near field losses, and the first-reflection
losses lie outside your ability to control.  (unless you consider
relocation to waterfront property "control".)  Bottom line:  if
the thing works in your environment, keep it.  If not, the alternatives
are a new antenna or a new location.  

N2EA
jimjarvis at ieee.org