[TowerTalk] 3el on 80m with another antenna?

Jim Brown jim at audiosystemsgroup.com
Wed Apr 4 10:57:48 EDT 2007


On Tue, 3 Apr 2007 23:44:46 -0400, Scott W3TX wrote:

>If land space is available I would recommend pursuing a 4-square or 9-circle 
>on 80m.  These antennas, with a good radial system, will be superior at the 
>important low elevation angles compared to an 80m horizontal array at 100ft. 

My limited experience at my new QTH on 160 (one season) with both a horizontal 
dipole at 90 ft and a 70 ft top-loaded vertical with 40 70-ft radials is that the 
vertical is at least 10 dB better within several hours of sunrise or sunset. At 
other times, either antenna may produce the better signal at any given QTH, 
depending on how signals at various take off angles are being propagated at that 
point in time. 

As others have noted, there are times where an opening is not at a low angle, but 
may be elevated by 30 degrees or more. N6BV has put some good stuff about this in 
the last few editions of the ARRL Antenna Book. 

Another variable, of course, is the elevation angle at which the other station is 
listening!  I've recently spent some time on 80 at N6RO's multi-multi, where Ken 
has both horizontal and vertical arrays for that band. I find that one array or 
the other will be better than the other for any given QSO, but again, it isn't 
always predictable which one that will be. 

Like the man said, you can never have too many antennas.

73,

Jim Brown K9YC




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