[Elecraft] re: Evaluating antennas

[Mike Cizek W3MC]

I absolutely and completely agree with Ken, despite having only half of his 
experience. (30 years, and only two towers - 100' & 125' with six rotatable 
beams).  The old fashioned open wire dipole - doublet to our UK brethren - 
when fed with a proper balanced tuner - is extremely efficient and 
effective.  Read what Maxwell has to say about them in his book 
"Reflections", or look at results with an antenna modelling program.  The 
80m dipole at 65', when used on the higher bands, will have gain equal to a 
3 element yagi in its favored directions.

73,

Mike Cizek  W3MC
w3mc at toad.net
FOC # 1739
HSC # 1849
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ken Kopp
  To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
  Sent: Wednesday, 21 February, 2007 19:48
  Subject: [Elecraft] Evaluating antennas


  Given all the discussion about the various antennas ....

  I do wire antenna seminars at conventions and hamfests, and
  usually in some way tell my audience the following:

  NO antenna is ever high enough! (:-)

  Many years ago ... 50+ ... I put up (too) many antennas in
  the quest for the perfect radiator, and I offer the following
  observation.

  No antenna should be "written off" without a long period of
  evaluation ... perhaps several weeks or more.  At the time I
  was in hot pursuit of "something better" and would change
  an antenna too often ... even from one day to the next.

  I eventually learned that there are many factors that can influence
  how well antenna will work for you.  I didn't understand about
  the fickle ways of the propogation gods, sunspots, the antenna's
  surroundings, etc. and that these factors will deternine how your
  new antenna will work to a greater degree than what "kind" of
  antenna it is.

  I have four 100' towers and some of today's "best" antennas
  fed with "hardline", but if I had to choose only one it would be
  the 80M half-wave at 65' that's fed with home-made open wire
  and a Johnson Matchbox.

  73! Ken Kopp - K0PP
  k0pp at arrl.net
  or
  k0pp at ixpres.com



  Ken Kopp - K0PP
  k0pp at arrl.net
  or
  k0pp at ixpres.com

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Mike Cizek  W3MC
w3mc at toad.net
FOC # 1739
HSC # 1849