[MRCA] 60 Meter portable operation questions

[Robert Nickels]

On 1/5/2017 8:16 PM, Gene Smar wrote:
>
> I’m just getting around to putting in my two cents on this item
>
I guess I will to, although in large part I will just pass along what I 
have been told by others who were more experienced with portable field 
operation,  primarly KB0SFP, and had to learn for myself that he was 
right about vertical antennas.   I've seen it proven many times, on both 
ends of the circuit, that a 30 ft. Jackite pole with a wire up the 
center, ground-mounted with three 30 ft. long counterpoise wires 
arranged in a "crows foot" pattern at the base will perform as well on 
40 meters as any comparable wire antenna.   Of course it is a 
quarter-wave on 40 which helps, but 60 meter operation is very 
satisfactory with an auto- or manual tuner.  The same is true for the 
higher HF frequencies, and an autotuner like an SGC or marinet type at 
the base makes for a very simple all-band antenna that just works.

Advantages of a vertical include quick setup requiring only one support 
(takes me about 3 minutes),  multi-band operation with a tuner, and the 
fact that vertical real-estate is generally easier to come by than 
enough open space to string up wires, not to mention support the ends.

Some have even installed Jackite poles as semi-permanent antennas by 
simply adding a few wraps of electrical tape above the point where the 
sections are friction-fit, to prevent the upper section of slipping with 
temperature changes.    Since the surface area is small they hold up 
well in windy conditions.

It's easy to modify the Jackite pole to accommodate a wire inside the 
sections (just attach something large enough to prevent the top end of 
the wire from sliding back down),  and there's already a set of pegs to 
wind it on for storage when telescoped together (< 4 ft).     Standard 
conduit hangers from the hardware aisle make it easy to mount these 
poles to anything or a ground mast or tripod-type mounting.    And if 
you look for them, you can find them in a nice shade of green or "Army 
Camo"!

73, Bob W9RAN