[TowerTalk] 80 meter antenna comparison

[Rick Karlquist]

Jim Brown wrote:
> On Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:26:33 -0800, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote:
>
>>For DX, a dipole at 115 feet is interchangeable with a single 1/4 wave
>>vertical in terms of transmitted signal strength.
>
> I think broad generalizations like this are dangerous.
>
> I have a 160/80/40 dipole at about 105 ft, and a top-loaded 86 ft
> vertical for 160 and 80. Which is "better" for any given path will
> depend STRONGLY on the vertical angle for propagation between me and the
> DX station at any given time of day, as well as the directional
> properties of the dipole. There are times when the path will be a fairly
> high angle one, in which case the dipole will be better. Often on 40,
> and occasionally on 80, I can work long path to EU. My Beverages
> (pointed long path) almost never hear the long path station, and if they
> do, the level is much below the dipoles.
>
> Which is better will also be influenced by how the topography near your

What I said was not meant to be a generalization.  It applies on
80 meters only, at my QTH only, and on short path only, and on
transmit only.  I thought I made that clear in my posting.  FYI,
my QTH is flat as a pancake with a 1 degree horizon and I have
high ground conductivity.

BTW, my beverages work great on long path.  YMMV!

Rick N6RK