RadioBanter - View Single Post

June 12th 06, 03:52 PM posted to rec.radio.shortwave

On 2006-06-11, wrote:
For years I have been using a Hustler vertical antenna which I have
never been able to get working right. I paid about $100 for it. I
kept adjusting and adjusting it, but the damn thing was no better then
hanging a wire out of a window.

Without a groundplane/radials it is essentially the same as a wire thrown
out the window. Add the other half of the antenna (the radials or a decent
groundplane, and it will be a much better antenna.

I was really impressed with the results. I left the Hustler antenna up
so I could switch back and forth to see the difference. What I found
was that signals were much stronger. The backgounds noise was much
less and I mean a whole lot less. I have a little antenna tuner that I
use and that appears to make a little difference in how strong the
signals are.

The signals were stronger because you now have a complete antenna. The
reduced noise level is most likely the rewsult of the horizontal
configuration -- most manmade noise tends to be vertical in polarization.
The difference in polarity results in about a 20db loss in the localy
generated noise.

Alex/AB2RC