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[TowerTalk] 160/80 M Antennas

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] 160/80 M Antennas
From: alsopb@gloryroad.net (alsopb)
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 14:05:00 +0000
Re: GAP antennas

Had the smaller model of the GAP antenna.  It covered 80M - 6M.  Same
idea/design except no top hat.

On 80, it was several S units worse than a low dipole.  That held for
local, DX and long haul DX.  

On 40M it performed about as well as a 40M dipole at 40'.  It did do
better sometimes on longer haul DX.  It was also a dog on 20M despite
a good SWR.

Like the guy who sold it to me said: "You will work everything you
hear on 80".  Probably true-- since RX signals were so poor.

By the way, the GAP design for this antenna had a capacitor inside the
top tubing.  One needed the correct capacitor for the band segment
being covered.  I seem to recall that there were four such caps needed
to span the 75/80 meter band.  Naturally, the unit came with the wrong
one.

73 de Brian/K3KO

K7LXC@aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 1/24/01 6:36:14 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> w8ji@contesting.com writes:
> 
> > One thing for certain go for the GAP, performance will be very
> >  predictable!
> >
> >  There is no doubt at all the GAP will never have a good signal, no
> >  matter what. With the GAP, you'll easily be a couple S unit's
> >  weaker than you would with a simple low dipole.
> 
>     Yep, our experience with one on 160M was the same. We were at the ocean
> for a 160M contest and heard everything but could only work 1/3 of the
> stations we heard. It did work semi-okay on 80 and okay on 40 though.
> 
> Cheers,    Steve   K7LXC
> Tower Tech
> 
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