Jack,

Have you determined that the radio is actually putting out 100W? The light
bulb test should give some indication. When I first got licensed on HF I
went through a bunch of antennas at less than 20 feet with essentially 0
results. For starters, unless you are DX, nobody will talk to you on 75 or
20 m SSB unless you are 5-9. I made my first contact half way across the
country on 15 m by using a 3 el 6 meter beam at 12 feet (In the attic of a 1
story house). Try getting out during a contest, but you really want to get
the wire at least 30 feet up. I don't think you mentioned what the antenna
is, or what bands you have tried.

Tam/WB2TT
"Jack Twilley" wrote in message
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"Richard" == Richard Clark writes:

Jack What's the best way to find out for what bands (if any) my
Jack current antenna is best suited? Would something like the
Jack Antenna Analyzer II (http://www.amqrp.org/kits/antanal/) or the
Jack 'Tenna Dipper (http://4sqrp.com/kits/kits.htm) answer this
Jack question?

Richard These are toys when it comes to the grist of your question.
Richard No analyzer will answer what is best as that is a subjective
Richard issue. Further, an antenna has more characteristics than
Richard feed point Z which impact the nature of your enquiry far
Richard more.

That's pretty much what I figured. I tried to provide a definition
for best that was more objective than subjective.

Richard A low antenna that warms the ground will look like a charmer
Richard to the analyzer, but then so would your dummy load. Get the
Richard idea? You already anticipate this I am sure.

Exactly. This is the same antenna that I've mentioned in the past,
less than twenty feet off the ground and less than five feet from the
house (which towers over the antenna by ten feet at its highest
point).

Richard The old methods, prior to the invention of analyzers,
Richard encompassed a simple sanity/reality check with the field
Richard strength meter. Put one 100 wavelengths out and take a
Richard reading. Do the same with a buddy in town. The differences
Richard should be telling. This will reveal how much power has
Richard escaped the grip of loss.

While I don't have a field strength meter, I do have a friend with a
DC-to-daylight receiver. He was able to receive me loud and clear
over a mile away. One hundred wavelengths would be twenty-four miles
- -- if he had a real antenna, he'd be perfectly situated for that kind
of test, but all he has is the whip that came with the receiver, so
I'm not sure that's going to be a valid test.

Richard Repeat with a DX contact (you and your buddy working the same
Richard remote station).

[... rest elided ...]

Ahahahaha. Richard, I've worked a DX contact *once*. That was day
one of the antenna's life, during the California QSO Party, when I
logged a contact with a guy in Germany. I have trouble working people
several towns over, and in fact have had only one QSO since the
weekend the antenna was installed. This part of the test is a little
optimistic.

Richard 73's Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Thanks!

Jack.
- --
Jack Twilley
jmt at twilley dot org
http colon slash slash www dot twilley dot org slash tilde jmt slash
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