In looking through the achieves of this reflector, I saw some indication of
interest in the performance of this new receive antennas system.
After a 12-year absence, I returned to 80 meters this past year and also
began operating on 160, for the first time. On 160, I am using a full-sized
80-meter vertical, matched to 50-ohm coax with an L-network at the base
(switched in and out with a relay operated from the shack). Many of the 60
radials on the vertical are on the order of 120 feet long, as I was
planning this duo-band operation.
Especially on 160, I soon learned that my receiving capabilities, with the
vertical, were inadequate. I was working everything I was hearing, but I
was not hearing well, except on exceptional nights. I figured that I needed
a separate receive antenna. After doing a lot of reading (especially ON4UNs
book and W8JIs web pages) and considering my space constraints (I am in
Iowa, but not on a farm!), I had narrowed my choices to a K9AY loop or a
pair of orthogonal two-wire 500-foot long beverages. In late January, with
some contests on the horizon, I was trying, without much success, to get my
wife to choose between these. She does not mind my 70-foot freestanding
tower or vertical antennas on the ground in a small adjacent semi-wooded
lot, but she does not want wires (or guys) near to the ground in the yard,
and either choice would have had a lot of wire in the yard, and near the
ground. The beverages would have extended into the middle of our front yard!
Then, I saw a posting on this reflector
(http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/Topband/2006-01/msg00397.html)
describing the performance of the DX Engineering small 4-square receiving
antenna. It has been suggested that system can have performance on par with
a 2-wavelength beverage (but as has been pointed out on this reflector by
W4ZV, this depends on the direction of noise sources). In any case the
performance is probably much better than I could expect with the
alternatives that, with my limited space, I was considering. Also,
physically and visually, this small 4-square system has a very low profile.
Although the cost was a bit more than the alternatives, my wife is happy
because she can hardly see anything and I am ecstatic at the performance.
Working in bitter cold weather, I set my 4-square up on a 100-foot square
(96 feet is suggested as a compromise between 80 and 160 meters optimum
sizes, but I like round numbers), around a small pond in a corner of our
yard, about 300 feet from the transmit vertical (one downside of the
current version of this system, is that it must be separated from the
transmit antenna by a substantial distance, depending on the transmit
power---details in the user's manual that can be downloaded from the DX
Engineering web page).
I used this antenna in the ARRL CW DX test, the ARRL SSB DX test, and the
CQ 160 meter SSB test and for general Dxing on 80 and 160 this winter. It
has made a world of difference in my ability to receive on these bands. I
regularly switch between the vertical and the 4-square to compare. Often
copy that would be impossible on the vertical is perfect Q5 on the
4-square. When running in the CQ 160 meter SSB test, I found that I had to
be a bit careful using an omni transmit antenna and a highly directional
receive antenna!
Biggest thrills: working a dozen Europeans on 160 in one night in the ARRL
SSB DX test and having Q5 copy on VK9NL in huge a simplex pileup on 80
meters during the ARRL CW DX test (and being able to work him quickly).
Biggest disappointment: That I did not order the system a week earlier, so
that I might have worked 3Y0X on 160. I heard them consistently, in the
noise, for many nights, but hardly ever strong enough to call.
The people at DX Engineering were very helpful in shipping everything same
day as order and providing other support to get me operational quickly.
Finally, a little anecdote:
I was working S&P in the ARRL SSB DX test on 75 meters on Saturday morning.
I heard a JA not too strong, but perfect Q5 calling CQ and listening up. I
hit A=B, tuned to the specified transmit frequency, switched to split and
started calling (I am using an old TS-940 that receives on only one
frequency at a time). This JA was not hearing as well as others that
morning and it took many tries and about five minutes for him to get my
call and exchange correctly. Toward the end of the QSO, I realized that my
transmit frequency, specified by the JA, had been directly on top of an
existing QSO with a few US stations that I will guess were about 1000 miles
SE of me and, with my omni transmit antenna, I had been giving them some
serious QRM. I realized this because they had gotten fed up with the JA and
me and had QSYed to the JAs transmit frequency! I heard, faintly in the
background, words like this will teach them a lesson. The JA, was, however,
stronger on the receive 4-square and I did not miss a syllable. The point
is that the F/R for this receive antenna is incredible. And when using
receive and transmit antennas with different patterns, one does have to be
a bit careful! By the way, if any of the stations that QSYed to the JAs
transmit frequency read this, I apologize!
73,
Bill
K0KT
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