I once enhanced the performance of a Moseley vertical by strewing 150 pounds
of copper sulfate around it...gave the grass an interesting color, too. The
XYL did not appreciate it much.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Coleman" <aa4lr at arrl.net>
To: "Dennis McAlpine" <dbmcalpine at earthlink.net>
Cc: "secc" <secc at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 8:22 PM
Subject: [SECC] Antenna improvements (Was: NAQP)
>
> On Aug 22, 2007, at 11:22 AM, Dennis McAlpine wrote:
>
>> In this QTH, I currently have just a Butternut vertical mounted
>> five feet above ground. As soon as the snakes go to sleep for the
>> winter, I will raise it to 10' and do a better job with the
>> placement of the tuned radials.
>
> Why do you want to raise the vertical? on 80m / 160m, the five feet
> likely won't make much difference. The key to verticals seems to be
> the radial field. If you can put down a bunch of ground-mounted
> radials, they should work better than a few elevated radials.
>
> I've had good success with a shunt-fed 15m tall tower with 29 ground-
> mounted radials. On 160m, it isn't even 1/10 wave-length tall. And
> the matching network can't handle more than 100 watts. It works
> better than the 80m dipole at 10m high. On 80m, it's more of a wash.
> The dipole usually works better just after sunset and sunrise, the
> vertical much better during the darker part of the night.
>
>> That brings me to power. With my current inefficient vertical, it
>> makes a big difference if I run a kw or 100 watts. I am actually
>> reasonably loud with a kw but many will not hear me barefoot and
>> when it comes to keeping a run freq, forget it.
>
> Efficiency is the key. Regardless of power, a more efficient antenna
> will work better than an inefficient one.
>
>> So, if you hear a weak K2 calling you in NAQP or SS, don't turn
>> you big 3 element SteppIR up north; look towards SC. And,
>> remember, I need SC as a mult too.
>
> From where I sit, SC and NY are pretty much the same direction. I
> would welcome SC on 20-10m, though. I need those band-states for 5BWAS.
>
> Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
> Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
> -- Wilbur Wright, 1901
>
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