[TowerTalk] Omnidirectional antenna for domestic contests. Re: TowerTalk Digest, Vol 154, Issue 18

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

I did an A/B test using over the air signals of:

1.  An 80-meter inverted vee with the apex at 130
feet, and an apex angle of more than 120 degrees.
Almost a dipole.

2.  An 80-meter inverted vee with the apex at 60
feet and again an apex angle of more than 120
degrees.

The high antenna was clearly better on DX such
as JA, by 6 to 10 dB on a calibrated S meter.

The low antenna was clearly better within a
few hundred miles by a similar margin.  The
low antenna was close to omni directional,
producing many excellent signal reports off
the ends.

At intermediate distances, it was hard to tell
the difference between the antennas.

Either dipole was vastly better than a vertical
within a few hundred miles.

This was over flat land, with high conductivity.



Rick N6RK