Looks like I'll probably wind up roof-mounting a vertical antenna
to get my station back on the air. Because the chimney is too close
to the ac power and drops, the best alternative is a tripod or quadpod.
Some questions:
What would be the best tripod height to handle a ~25-29 foot vertical
in the Seattle, Wash. area considering, too, ease of installation (of both the
tripod and the antenna onto the tripod). Without expertiese or experience,
I'm thinking a 3-footer would do the job nicely. The antenna will be either
a GAP Titan, Cushcraft AP8A, Hy-Gain DX-88, or Butternut HV9 (?). I
own the first, but it was a bear to erect and "de-erect" on the ground; I can
imagine what it will be like on the roof. I have a potential source for
the second. This model and the third choice concern me, however,
relative to their being trapped antennas, although I have used these
types for years and have been satisfied with their performance
(perhaps because I had no other antenna up to do
comparisons). The Butternut, like the GAP, looks like it may be difficult to
install
and I have heard that they are prone to being easily damaged by winds. I would
like
to avoid guying if I can; I know the [ground-mounted] GAP survived the very
high winds northern Nevada is (in)famous for without being guyed (although
a Challenger did not).
Is there a source for a well-built tripod or quadpod in the local area?
The IIX
products look well-built, but I don't believe he has one of the height I'm
seeking; I
think he starts at 6'. I'm also beginning to suffer from the dreaded tropical
disease
lackamoola so I want to keep costs down wherever possible (without sacrificing
the
needed level of quality).
I have been told (although I no longer remember the source or whether
that person
was just trying to pull my leg) that stuffing a mast down the bathroom vent
pipe which goes
through the roof (I don't know its technically-correct name) will work. Just
make sure the
[antenna mounting] mast's O.D. provides a reasonable force fit into the I.D. of
the
bathroom vent pipe. This would probably preclude use of the Cushcraft as they
mount over
the mast; a side-mount design such as the GAP or Hy-Gain would be needed. Is
this worth
considering or am I playing with fire? If it is a viable alternative to the
tripod I'd like to go that
route as I really am leery of putting up a tripod.
Last but not least, if I do decide to ground mount any of the
aforementioned antennas
(with the exception of the GAP), how many radials would be considered a minimum
for
reasonable performance (rag chewing and diddling in contests)? How long should
they be?
The 18-MHz band is my favorite for weekend phone ragchewing and 7-MHz my
favorite for
CW ragchewing of an evening or morning (at least that's how it worked out in
Nevada).
Thanks for the assistance.
73,
Bob AA0CY
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