[Elecraft] Antennas an opinion W9VNE

[Jim Danehy]

1. I have 67 years of operating experience.

2. I have used full sized yagis, some times stacked on 40 up through 10. Some were owned at my own station and others were available as a guest. I am a CW OPERATOR. A couple of friends were deep into antennas. They did not want to operate contests. So I was asked to operate on CW to see how their stations measured up.

3. I have not used a gain antenna on HF in almost 30 years. I have 370 DXCC Mixed total. I never have missed a DXCC entity that I needed in those 30 years.

4. When I moved to my current QTH 30 years ago I threw up a wire (1/4 wave) with 2 radials for 30 meters. That was my 1st antenna at the new QTH. I woke at 4 AM and found a pile up on 30 meters on a H44
DX pedition. They kept calling CQ plenty of answers but they did not reply to anyone. Well after about 5 minutes I called once. Amazed when they answered me.

5. Location is the most valuable criterion at a station. If you are fortunate to have a good location you really can compete. I am on the shore of the Ohio River East of the city of Cincinnati. I am about a half mile from that river. The River has cut a swath for hundreds of miles. Over 220 degrees I am 400 feet above that river. The River is 400 feet above Sea Level. My tower is 45 feet above ground. It is all down hill over that 220 degrees from my QTH. 

6. On 160 I had an Inverted L with 30 radials 30 feet long each. Ran 500 watts and worked DXCC in 4 months. Beat out a friend who has a 4 square and thousands of feet of radials on 160. He ran three times my power. One morning I worked 3 JA s while he waited. He lives 90 miles from me.

7. I use a triband rotary dipole at 45 feet For 30 years. The important thing is I can rotate it. On LP on VK I ususally get 1 S unit better than the others. Still 500 watts. 

My Point ? MY 67 years of experience:

L O C A T I O N is the best thing you can have. Not being close to Salt Water being  on a hill is the best alternative. It has worked for me. I have had locals call me on the telephone. Can you hear JT1CO on 80 ?  Let me see. Yup 2 calls and I am in his log. Antenna ? A 35 foot top loaded vertical. My buddy 25 miles away could not even hear the JT. He tried calling listening over my telephone. That did not work. Other similar occurrences too.

Get a good location. Some are way better. Flat land sucks. 

73
Jim W9VNE 
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