[WriteLog] SO2R contesting question

[Jim Brannigan]

I have been fooling around with ground mounted verticals for years (and
dipoles and Yagis)
The view that they "radiate in all directions poorly" is generally true....
Ground conductivity is crucial.  In this area we have hardpan , rocks and
clay over sand....all manner of radials did not do the job.
but, with that said, I have had some luck with a 1/4 wavelength on
40M....higher freqs. require getting it up in the air, but a dipole will
work better.
my 2cents
Jim


>
> Frank,
>
> Check out http://www.k2kw.com for info on how to use verticals. The issue
> isn't really the band, its ground loss. thats why verticals are poor on
the
> ground, a little better on the roof, and hugely better sitting on the
beach.
> I was part of the 4M7X group and I know first hand how good verticals can
be
> if installed on a salt marsh. From the reports I've heard, our signal on
> 10meters was just as loud as the 6/6/6 stations even with our simple
> verticals.
>
> For SO2R, a roof mounted vertical can be an excellent 2nd radio antenna,
but
> don't expect it to be as good as a small yagi... especially from Brooklyn
;-)
>
> 73, Al  AD6E
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 6/10/2001 20:05:26 Pacific Daylight Time,
> flgrossman@earthlink.net writes:
>
> >
> >  Off topic comment on the back yard vertical issue...
> >
> >  Ground mounted verticals just don't really work for 20 Mtrs and up.  I
read
> >  on some newsgroup eons ago that the physics of the antenna means it
won't
> >  radiate much above 10 MHz.  I've had a back yard vertical--admittedly
with
> >  ground rods but no radials--for almost 30 years and it's performed
> >  reasonably well on 40 (worked 9G0ARS in one call on 7002 this evening),
but
> >  replaced it with dipoles for 20 and up early on.
> >
> >  You think operating form a small urban lot you own is tough for DX'ing
and
> >  contesting--try a rented apartment in Brooklyn.  :-)
> >
> >  73,
> >  Frank



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