[TowerTalk] Vertical Antenna Question

[K6XT]

Some years ago for a time I had a GAP Titan half wave vertical as my Get On The Air Now antenna. I tried ground mount, elevated 5 feet, 10 feet, 20 feet. Ten feet was the magic performance number. I did not see any advantage by raising the GAP base to 20 feet.

Later on my first tower I used a HyGain shorty 40 at 65 feet AGL for a time, comparing it to the GAP on 40. Although the yagi was better there were times the GAP equaled its performance on 40M. I took this as a sign the GAP had a good low 40M angle.

BTW the GAP Titan is advertised as covering 80M. A more accurate description is the GAP has a low SWR on 80. While it works well on 40 and up, on 80 its a low SWR dummy load. I suspect other short half wave verticals advertised as covering 80 are similar ymmv.

If I had it to do again I'd get another GAP and forget trying to use it on 80 at least for chasing DX. Good antenna for what it is.

My main bang at the time was get something in the air and work stations. Miles ahead of endless agonizing on the computer with a bare coax connector on the rig.


73 Art
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‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
On Wednesday, April 8, 2020 10:12 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu at w0mu.com> wrote:

> The Cushcraft R7/R8/R9 Verticals are 1/2 wave so they do not require
> radials.  I have one up and it works fine without any radials.  They
> work better if you can get them up in the air about 10ft or so.  Any
> antenna is better than no antenna but a vertical that requires radials
> and you don't have any is probably not going to work well.
>
> The SteppIR verticals are pretty popular and if you are going to use
> ground radials Just try to put out  at least 16 to 32 of them as long as
> you can.  If you have to go around trees other blockages  then do so
> just keep the radials spaced equally apart. Short ones of 8 ft are fine
> in some directions too.
>
> There are plenty of options even in a terraced yard.  Can you put up a
> self supporting pole?  What is the budget and what bands are you wanting
> coverage.
>
> W0MU
>
> On 4/8/2020 8:23 PM, Gary wrote:
>
> > I used my DX Engineering gift certificate to buy a copy of the "Champion Radio HF Vertical Performance - Test Methods & Results". I really enjoyed the book and learned a lot.
> > It looks like a vertical is the only antenna I am going to get in my terraced back yard. Has anyone done a similar look at verticals where they looked at radials vs no radials? There are a lot of claims out there about verticals that work without radials. The above test looked at some of those antennas but they were mounted over a radial field...
> > I am still wondering how I am going to run the radials up the brick terraces, and they are going to have to be pretty short.
> > I am ready to listen and learn.
> > Thanks and 73,
> > Gary "Joe" Mayfield, kk0sd
> >
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>
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