[TowerTalk] How High is enough

[Larry]

Years ago I had the opportunity to work contests at place that had a 3 stack 
(bottom was 60 feet and the top was 120 feet I think). We would work Europe 
early in the morning starting with all 3 antennas connected. After a while 
the QSO rate would start to drop and we would switch to the top two 
antennas. As the QSO rate would drop it was to the bottom 2, then just the 
top, then the middle, and finally to just the bottom antenna. The QSO rate 
would drop because the propagation changed. Early propagation was to Russia 
and by the time we were to the bottom antenna propagation was mainly to 
Western Europe. By changing the antenna configuration we were changing the 
angle of radiation from very low (all 3) to not so low (just the bottom). 
This was DX contesting.

Running all 3 of the stack would not have been very effective for a US/VE 
contest as the radiation angle would be too low. The bottom antenna would 
work. The top antenna would work but probably not as well as just the bottom 
antenna for a US/VE contest as its radiation angle is probably still too low 
and would tend to skip over closer in stations.

An antenna at 50 feet will work as will the same antenna at 70 feet. 
Depending on your goals one height may be more of a compromise than the 
other of course.

Ed's point about deciding what your goals are is important and essential to 
make any kind of value/merit assessments about any antenna configuration.

73, Larry  W6NWS

-----Original Message----- 
From: Edward Sawyer
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 6:47 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] How High is enough

Great question and I concur with the suggestions of the ARRL Antenna Book
with the software included.

If you really want to get "the most for your buck" then you have to define
what your primary interest is to get that "most".  If it is domestic
contesting, for which Texas is an excellent location, then the answers are
different than DX Contesting.  If its DXing in general it's a somewhat
different priority especially if the low bands are a priority.

There is no question, over flat terrain, higher is better at the end of the
day for DX work.  But for domestic contests, certain heights beat others and
gain becomes an equally important factor I believe as well as multiple
direction flexibility.

For DXing on the low bands, height wins, period.

So if you really want best bang for your buck, try picking a specialty and
devote your answers to it.  You can always do the rest off that answer but
you can't have the same solutions be best for your buck.  The top signals
you hear on the bands have not tried to maximize best for your buck.  They
have multiple antennas for many or all of the above choices and they have
spent many more bucks in order to do so.

Ed  N1UR

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