Michael,
Have a read of K5LJ’s articles on the BVARC Tech Articles page: Shortened Dipole Study for Conditions on BVARCs Rag Chew Net. http://www.bvarc.org/index.php?page=tech It might clarify the propagation changes we face thru-out the year, as they change significantly. Enjoy…Rick – W5RH ps….think about publishing your TCHF presentation. Make a PDF and we’ll put it on the web site Tech Articles page. I did not get to see it, but would like to see your take on skyhooks, as a neophyte. TNX! From: BVARC [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Michael Rapp via BVARC Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2015 10:04 AM To: [email protected] Cc: Michael Rapp <[email protected]> Subject: [BVARC] Isn't the antenna supposed to be up in the air? Hi all, >From the it-doesn't-have-to-be-perfect-to-work department.... So, yesterday evening I did my third check-in to the BVARC Ragchew net on 3910. I don't expect much from my signal -- it's an 80 meter inverted-V dipole only 20 feet high. John, K5LKJ, seemed to hear me as well as he heard me the previous two weeks. (My QTH is Dickinson.) So after the net my wife remarks, "Isn't your antenna supposed to be up in the air?" Curious, and more than slightly alarmed, I go outside to the backyard and see that the inverted-V support -- a 20 ft push-up painters pole has partially collapsed, undoubtable due to the friction fittings loosening due to repeated cycles of afternoon heating and nighttime cooling. The feedpoint of the 80 meter dipole is now only 10 feet above the ground, one leg of the dipole is only 6 feet above the ground, and the other leg is laying on the ground! Yet, at least some of the listeners on the net heard me. :) Now, I don't think I'm going to work western Europe with this set up, but it has been one of the most important lessons of amateur radio for me that an antenna can deviate wildly from theoretical perfection and still be effective, as long as one is willing to be generous in defining the word effective. :D 73, -- /*/-=[Michael / KT5MR]-=/*/
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