Bruce in alaska wrote:
In article ,
Michael Coslo wrote:

JIMMIE wrote:
Once I joke about using a CB groundplane with a 10 db pad for an all
band antenna.
I thought about this for a while and decided to try it. I did nt have
to use 10 db maybe it was only 3db or 6db I cant remember now
to get an antenna that my soliddtate transceiver with no tuner was
happy with on allHF bands. I was fairly amazed at how well the
antenna worked or at least amazed that it did work at all.

What is more, you didn't have to spend 600 dollars for a bad antenna.


- 73 de Mike N3LI -

Years ago, I was working on a Marine HF Radio, on the bench, in Seattle
WA, connected to a Bird 1 Kw Dummy Load. As I was setting the -16 db
Pilot Carrier Level for the Public Coast Station KMI, at Point Rayes CA,
on 12 Mhz, I got a reply from the Operator, ON Duty, asking for Station
Call Sign. I had a nice chat with him for about 5 minutes. ANY antenna,
no matter how it is built, even a Dummy Load, will radiate, and
communicate IF the Band is open. If the Band is closed, it doesn't
matter how efficient the antenna is, you will not communicate.


But we shouldn't have to spend 600 dollars to find that out! ;^)

While it is true that at ceratin times, anything will "get out", and at
other times, nothing does, there is a whole range in between. I did some
mobile contesting this weekend, and the consequences of having a bit
more efficent and productive antenna were apparent. Mor QSO's, and less
time spent doing multiple exchange sends.

And wow, the bands were weird this past weekend.


But given the results of shootouts, it is clear that having a good
mobile antenna will add quite a bit of punch to your signal. IIRC the
Hamsticks were about 20 db down (Cecil, I think you had some test
results, so correct me if I'm way off).

- 73 de Mike N3LI -