[Elecraft] Verticals

[w7aqk at cox.net]

Bill, N2WL said:

I had no trouble at all keeping in touch with my family using an early R5
vertical in 5H3 land when I was working there.
My XYL had my Log Periodic on a 75 tower and I had the R5 vertical with a
Metrum 500 watt amp, 12 volt battery and an Icom 735 in those days.

--------------------------------------------

Bill and All,

And just which antenna do you think was doing all the work???

The R5 is a decent antenna, and it probably worked well for you.  However, I 
think it may well have been the Log Periodic that was doing all the heavy 
lifting, don't you?

I have used an R7 and an R8 with good results, but I don't get overly 
confident that I'm the one really making the contact possible unless, 
perhaps, the person at the other end has a similarly modest antenna.  With 
my R8 I worked VP6DX on 80 and 160, both SSB and CW, but I don't for a 
second give the credit to my end.  They just had good ears, that's all!

I have a nice ARCI "Miles per Watt" certificate on my desk for a 40 meter 
contact I made with DJ6ZM while I was running 1.8 watts with an HW-8 (and 
the R8).  However, all you have to do is take a peek at Tof's antenna setup 
in Munich to see how and why the contact was possible.

I'm as guilty as the next person about getting a bit excited if I make a DX 
contact I think is  somewhat rare or difficult.  However, reality sets in 
when I hear what the other station is using.

There is a fellow ham just up the street from me who works DX all the time 
that I can't even hear a peep out of.  He has a good beam, and I don't. 
That obviously tells me something.

Antennas are evaluated all the time by comparison to a "reference" antenna. 
Probably QSO's should be similarly evaluated by comparing the antenna 
systems at both ends.  The old adage that "if you can hear them, you can 
work them" is probably mostly true, but it may not be your fault!

Dave W7AQK