This subject has been discussed here plenty of times in the past, and the consensus has always been that trees and other foliage near a 160m antenna has a negligible effect on the transmitted signal. That's what I have believed for some time.
This was discussed last month at http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?topic=90638.0 . This article by Carl Luetzelschwab K9LA appeared in the March/April 2006 NCJ titled "Low Band Antennas and Trees". LINK: http://k9la.us/Low_Band_Antennas_and_Trees.pdf . Look at the chart and discussion there. It flies in the face of previous observations by a lot of intelligent Topbanders. I'm not at all saying that I agree with this. But it certainly does seem that after the leaves came out and the weeds grew around my 160m inverted-L, my signal on the Reverse Beacon Network is nowhere near what is was in the early spring. I doubt that it has anything to do with the tall weeds under my elevated radials or the oak leaves near the inverted-L. But never mind all that; what do you gentlemen think about this article? I don't know what to think. 73, Mike www.w0btu.com _________________ Topband Reflector
