Well, I don't have a 'monster tower', being mine are 150', and 120', and
60'... And I have never had anything taller, so take my comments in that
perspective... I do have acreage so I do have some experience with
Beverages, etc...
Check the archives for Tom Raush's posting on topband and 300 foot towers
for a perspective regarding topband...
The big contest stations will tell you that you need more than one antenna
for each band, at different heights... Arrival angles can be fickle...
They also will tell you that there is no such thing as too tall of an
antenna for dx or contesting... Many of the stacked antenna guys have
discovered that the highest antenna in the stack is the best 97.943% of the
time <or some such figure>...
I would not recommend a 300 foot tower due to cost, FAA lighting
regulations, etc... The bang for the buck is not there, in my opinion...
In general, a Rohn 45 tower in the 150' to 180' range will make you very
competitive as far as signal into other parts of the world on the HF
bands... A pair of 150-180 footers, properly spaced to hold a wire beam for
80 meters into europe (say) will make you you king of the hill in that
direction....
There are lots of choices here... To simplify, let me tell you how I would
spend YOUR money if I were doing it right now, aiming at bang for the buck
<remember this criteria is not the killer stack>......
A 150-180 foot tower - you pick the height... I would compromise at 16
sections and put a Force 12, 40-10 antenna on top, and M2/Orion rotor...
I would put a 20-15-10 Tribander at 13 sections fixed on Europe... I'm
partial to a KT36XA, <or clone> my self ...
I would put another Tribander at 10 sections fixed on South America...
And I would put a shorty, tribander on a ring rotor, or gate arm, at 7
sections for US contests and for multiplier hunting...
Then I would get as far from this tower as room allows and put up 13
sections of Rohn 25 on an insulator... This will be the 160 transmit
antenna, base fed...
Then I would haunt the swaps and scrap yards and get enough TV tower
sections (American Steel, etc.) to make up a 4 square for 80 meters...
And install Beverages for 160/80...
That's how I would spend YOUR money, today...
Denny
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ford Peterson" <ford@cmgate.com>
To: <cq-Contest@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 1:30 AM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Monster antennas
> I'd like to hear from some of you guys with the monster antennas. I've
got
> about 3 extra acres here that could hold a monster. Yes, it would be cool
> to have a system that reaches to 200' or so, but would it play well?
>
> I've never played a radio with an HF antenna >70 feet or so. What should
I
> expect at 160'? Oh what the heck, why not 300'? Seriously, I'm looking
at
> a new tower and am unsure about the "bang for the buck" on a big boy
tower.
>
> My gut tells me that a high tower is a handicap on SS and any other
domestic
> contest. Long haul DX may be different but is it going to make a
difference
> in my score in ARRL DX, CQWW, etc.?
>
> I'd be interested in any and all informed responses.
>
> Ford-N0FP
> ford@cmgate.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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