[Elecraft] VP6DX Success Due to K3's or Antennas?

[David Cutter]

For verticals there's a 2 or 3-fold effect:

1    a vertical over sea water will have very much reduced losses in the 
near field, ie close to the antenna so increasing its efficiency, ie raising 
the 'power output' compared to a land situation

2    the increased conductivity in the far field reduces losses to the wave 
travelling across the surface before it launches into space

3    the long travel over the sea water means a lower angle than across land
 and therefore less bounces to get to you on the other side of the world, so 
less losses on the way

So, the signal is much bigger at your end and your signal has less losses 
getting to them.

David
G3UNA



> The Mojo is in the sea water which has a conductivity
> of about 500 millimhos/per meter.  The best of soils
> are about 30 millimhos/meter and average soil about 5
> mmhos/meter.  A small island is as near to a perfect
> ground plane as you will find.
>
> --- Björn Mohr <bm at broadcast.se> wrote:
>
>> I agree! Although the K3 is a great radio, 90% of
>> the mojo is antennas and
>> location. If you are really interested in the secret
>> of vertical antennas
>> near salt water check out this site;
>>
>> http://k2kw.com/k5k/dxcomp.htm
>>
>> 73 de Björn /SM0MDG
>>
>>
>> On 080222 5:41 , "Ron D'Eau Claire" <ron at cobi.biz>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Being on the edge of a huge salt-water pond gives
>> VP6DX's verticals an
>> > advantage no "land lubber" can hope for. There's a
>> lot of interaction
>> > between the electromagnetic wave and the earth
>> from a vertical antenna for
>> > many wavelengths from the antennas. Real "earth" -
>> dirt - is a terrible
>> > medium. It's sort of the world's worst dielectric,
>> even when soaking wet.
>> > But salt water is a different story. It's a very
>> efficient medium for the RF
>> > to interact with.
>> >
>> > There's a reason why so many DX-peditions like to
>> find themselves on a small
>> > rock in the middle of the ocean, and it isn't just
>> for the view.
>> >
>> > Ron AC7AC
>> >
>> >