[Elecraft] Antenna question

[Jim Brown]

On 2/11/2014 3:36 PM, George Thornton wrote:
> I have a small lot.  I currently am using a 3 element Yagi that barely fits on the property.  I was thinking about getting a vertical as a second HF antenna.

As it happens, over the past year or so I've been engaged in a serious 
modeling study that compares the performance of vertical and horizontal 
antennas at mounting heights that are practical for hams in your 
situation. So the real question is, what will that vertical add to your 
station beside a second antenna for SO2R?

If I were in your situation, I would add an antenna only to cover bands 
that the tri-bander does not. Even the best vertical is unlikely to 
outperform the tribander unless you happen to be blessed with REALLY 
good ground conductivity, and even then only by a dB or so at low 
elevation angles. Second, if I were to add a vertical, it would be one 
that is configured as a center-fed dipole, and I would add it ONLY if I 
could elevate it at least 20 ft.

Yes, I know this wasn't the question you asked, but it needs to be asked 
and answered. :)  Also, by all means pay attention to K6DGW's comments, 
with which I completely concur.

There's a link to a presentation I did last fall of the vertical height 
issue, and also one about the recently popular 43 ft vertical.
http://k9yc.com/publish.htm

I'm still working on the comparison of verticals to horizontal antennas 
-- I've done all the modeling and know the results, but haven't 
organized it to show yet. AD5X has also done some excellent work on the 
43 ft vertical idea. And QST recently published a piece showing that a 
better use of a 43 ft vertical might be as the center support for 
horizontal dipoles for 80 and 40, a concept with which I strongly agree. :)

73, Jim K9YC