I'm new to 160 and am planning to add an 8-circle. I would like to buy
commercial preamps and the controller. I would greatly appreciate any
advice on the choice of preamp/controller vendor.
I live in a rural area and have a 4-direction 3-ele vertical array for
160 with a 20+ dB f/b. So I'm looking for a beamwidth improvement on
receive. Here are a couple questions:
- Are the functions of the control network the same or similar between
DXE and Hi-Z? (so I could use either one?)
- DXE wants a 320' diameter and Hi-Z wants 200' for optimum performance.
It's hard to tell what DXE performance is because it does not disclose
RDF, beam width or F/B. And neither vendor supplies EZNEC files so I can
see the effect of varying the layout. So I'm not sure how to decide what
array size is best for me. It would be wonderful if someone has a model
for these two systems.
- If I use DXE, is it a no-brainer to use 24' verticals instead of the
shorter supplied whips?
- are there any best practices for weatherproofing the Hi-Z components?
- are there any build-quality differences between the two that I should
consider? I live in MT, so it is a harsh environment.
Thanks!
Bob, N7IP
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