[TowerTalk] Wire Antenna Dilemma...Help me decide!

[Jim Brown]

Some thoughts about high angles to work locals. Remember inverse 
square law?  That is, -6dB for each doubling of distance?  Locals 
are close, so less loss.  

Example -- W6 to W2 is almost 3,000 miles.  W6 to W7 is typically 
600 miles. W7 is 14 dB closer than W2. You don't NEED as much gain 
to work short skip. You're going to work them anyway -- IF the band 
is open for short skip. And if the band isn't open for short skip, 
all the RF in the world pointed up isn't going to make it happen! 

Now, those who have observed that some DX comes in at higher angles 
are correct -- but not VERY high, and MUCH less often. Playing the 
percentages, on 80 and 160, higher IS better. 

Another thought about height and working/hearing DX. My 40, 80, and 
160 dipoles are at 110 ft. Working long path to EU this morning on 
40, they heard at least as well as my Beverages, and I made a half 
dozen Q's. Listening to C52C last night on 160, the Beverage heard 
at least 6 dB better than the dipoles and a vertical -- indeed, I 
didn't manage to work them, even though they were solid copy for 
nearly 2 hours. 

73,

Jim Brown K9YC
Santa Cruz, CA