[ILQSO] antennas for ILQP

[Hank Greeb]

Paul:

Your setup sounds great!  It's probably near optimum for the ILQP type 
operation.  Lots of work putting up all those antenna, but sounds like a 
great setup!

Verticals would do fine for DX - even the several coasts.  They wouldn't 
be as effective as a horizontal antenna for zero to 200 miles or 
so.Also, with verticals you need a good radial system for maximum 
effectiveness - at very least 4 radials with a length of 1/4 
wavelength.  The vertical antenna generally has a low angle of 
radiation, favoring DX and longer distances.  A horizontal antenna at 
heights up to 1/4 wavelength (actually, even higher) generally has major 
radiation at high angles.   Therefore for 80 metres in particular, a 
horizontal antenna would probably be favored, since you're trying to 
work in state signals.

I personally have used a horizontal dipole antenna at 30 to 60' height 
and have found it to be quite satisfactory for 80 and 40 metres.  I have 
a 1/2 wave dipole for 80 metres, feed it with 450 ohm ladder line, and 
use a balanced tuner.  I haven't tried anything else for ILQP, so I 
can't compare results of other configurations. 

I do know that a W8JK wire beam at 50' cut for 40 and 20 metres beats 
the dipole for ARRL Field Day.  I don't think it would give better 
results for in state contacts, because, again, it gets its gain by 
compressing the vertical field radiation to lower angles.  On Field Day 
you don't care where your contacts come from.  During this year's ILQP 
it probably would have helped on 40 and 20 because of higher ERP.

73 de n8xx Hg

Paul DeWitte K9OT wrote:
> When we set up for the ILQP, we set up 2 ant for 20m and 2 for 40m, and an 80m. We set up 2 seperate stations. Since there is limited space where we set up, it gets pretty crowded.
>
> Has anyone used verticals instead of dipoles in a fixed situation? I know that mobiles have vertical antennas so they do not count as they have no choice.
>
> What I was wondering if anyone has compared vertical to horiz polarization in trying to work within the state on 80m and 40m.
>
> 73 Paul K9OT