[TowerTalk] antennas in water

[Jan Erik Holm]

Michael Tope wrote:
> Jan Erik Holm wrote:
> 
>> Too much speculation here and totally wrong.
>>
>> D4B was up on a mountain, far above the ocean, D4C is
>> at same QTH right now you can check the web site.
>>
>> CN2R is not close enough to the ocean, looks like it´s
>> about 1 - 1.5 mile to the water, I have been there
>> myself and the ocean isn´t even close. Yes he has a
>> rotary dipole for 160 but also phased verticals.
>>
>> 73 Jim SM2EKM
>> --------------------------
>> Michael Tope wrote:
>>  
>>
>>> Jon,
>>>
>>> I am convinced you are correct. If I am not mistaken when Alex 
>>> 4L5A/D4B was contesting from Cape Verde, he ran a horizontal wire 
>>> yagi (inverted-V elements) on 160 meters from a bluff overlooking the 
>>> Atlantic ocean. I remember sending him an email congratulating him on 
>>> having an S9 +20dB signal in Southern California. He replied that his 
>>> effort was disappointing since his amplifier had broken and he was 
>>> only running 100 watts. I nearly fell out of my chair after reading 
>>> this. I always got the feeling that Alex was an above board guy, so 
>>> that when he said that he was running 100 watts, he meant it.
>>>
>>> I think W7EJ/CN2R runs a rotatable dipole on 160 at 150' from his 
>>> oceanside location with similarly impressive results. Then there was 
>>> ZL8R on Kermadec with the dipoles high in the tall trees on a bluff 
>>> overlooking the ocean. They were S9+ in Southern California on 160  
>>> just running 100 watts.  I know this is anecdotal, but  other than 
>>> corrosion, I don't think having an HF antenna close to an ocean beach 
>>> is ever a bad thing.
>>>
>>> 73, Mike W4EF.........
>>>
>>>   
> 
> Hi Jan,
> 
> Mea culpa. I do appear to be guilty of jumping to conclusions. I could 
> have sworn that I remembered seeing water next to those pictures of 
> CN2R's antenna farm. I just went back to his website and looked at them 
> again - you are dead right - no water anywhere.
> 
> D4B/D4C, on the other hand, does look out over water (I just looked at 
> the pictures on the D4C website to be sure). As you point out, they are 
> further away and higher than I had imagined, however. Photos on D4B's 
> old website made it look like the station was on a high cliff at the 
> waters edge.  Camera angle can really mislead, I guesss.
> 
> BTW, I would be curious to know how that rotary dipole at CN2R compares 
> to his phased verticals when working stateside on 160 meters.
> 
> Thanks for setting me straight.
> 
> Mike W4EF...................
> 
> 
Yes Mike, you can look at this CN2R picture. This is standing on the
roof of radio CN2R takeoff towards USA
http://sk3w.se/sm2ekm/view_photo.php?set_albumName=cn2km&id=PB300024
You can see the Atlantic ocean faintly in the distance, it is probably
well over a mile away, but takeoff is nice and flat.
When I was there he did not have the phased verticals. Even if that
rotary 160 dipole is at over 150 feet it still presents a quite high
angle of radiation, verticals might be much better. Next time I find
CN2R/W7EJ on the band I have to remember asking about 160m dipole
vs the verticals.

Yes the first picture I saw from D4B it also looked to me as if he
was just "next to" the water, later I did learn it was high up on
the mountain, this mountain is something like 4000 ft I think
(or more)and lots of the time the D4C station is covered inside the clouds.

In any case, nice radio locations, makes it no idea operate a
contest from Sweden.

/ Jim SM2EKM