[Elecraft] DX on 40m

[Jim Brassell]

Congrats, Ron.  I, too, have worked Cook Islands with my K2.  I also worked 
XF4DL on all bands with the K2.  I am using a ground mounted GAP Voyager 
vertical.  Verticals get a lot of bad press, but I am very happy with mines 
performance.  I'll admit that phased arrays and yagis mounted at least a 
half wave length in heighth will outperform a single vertical with radials. 
However, you can still be heard and many times beat the herd in the pileups 
if you listen and find out where the DX is listening.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Person" <Doug at Northroutt.net>
To: <Elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 23, 2006 10:31 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] DX on 40m


>I recently took down a monster beam.  Its performance was not much better 
>than my collection of dipoles - mainly due to its low height of 25 feet. 
>It was mounted on a short tower on top of my one-story garage.  I couldn't 
>leave that short tower empty for the winter.  I have built and used many 
>ground-mounted verticals.  Never with any satisfactory performance.  I 
>built a full-size 20 meter vertical and mounted it on the mast where the 
>beam had been.  I attached 4 quarter-wave radials spaced evenly at 90 
>degrees.  When I checked it with my MFJ 259 I was delighted to find 
>full-band coverage with an SWR below 1.5:1 or less.  After an hour or so of 
>tuning around and comparing signals to my 3-band trap dipole, it was clear 
>that the new vertical was working extremely well.  Low-angle signals were 
>clearly stronger on the vertical and overall performance was at least as 
>good as the dipole.  An elevated vertical seems to be vastly better than a 
>ground-mounted vertical - my last one had 32 radials and was still not very 
>good.  But maybe with a 120 radials like Ron's and a ground-mounted 
>vertical starts to perform.
>
> 72, Doug -- KØDXV
>
> Craig D. Smith wrote:
>> Congratulations, Ron, on the South Cook Islands!   Still on my "to get"
>> list.
>>
>> Yes, ground mounted with lots of radials works well.  But for those
>> intimidated with all the space and trenching needed for the radials, 
>> there
>> is an easy option - raise the vertical and use a counterpoise wire.  I 
>> also
>> worked 40 meter DX this morning.  Worked EH1YAQ in Spain from Colorado 
>> with
>> my K2 at 10W with a BuddiPole vertical.  Have the feedpoint raised up on 
>> a
>> pole at 10 ft and used a single 32 ft counterpoise wire with the far end 
>> on
>> a stake about 3 ft above the ground.  This arrangement has been working 
>> well
>> for me, and is easy and quick to set up on a portable basis.
>>
>> Keep up the good DX!!
>>
>>           73
>>                    .... Craig  AC0DS
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
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