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Michael Coslo · October 3rd 07, 01:59 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated

wrote:
On Sep 27, 2:27?pm, AF6AY wrote:

There's also the cost factor.

Yes, "everyone's location is different and each presents a unique
problem to solve". Which means that recommending a vertical
antenna to someone just starting out could be very bad advice unless a
lot more information was gathered first.

And if Brand Y using Brand T transmission line works better,
why not use it?

IMHO, the "whole name of the game" is useful radio
communication. IOW, making QSOs.

I have seen situations where it was good advice to tell a ham starting
out on HF to put up a vertical. I have also seen situations where that
would be very bad advice. Same for dipoles of various kinds,
loops, random wires, etc.

The main reason that I recommend a dipole over a vertical is that it is
general purpose, and just doesn't take as long to put up and get going.

My first dipole was up and running in a day. Then I put up my vertical
while I could operate. The vertical took a lot longer to install. I had
to pour the concrete base, and running the ground wires was the sort of
project that I put them in as long as my back could stand it, until I
came up with my trenching method. The tuning of the antenna required
several putitup takeitdowns. and 75 meters was very touchy - it still is
too sharp tuning to take in the whole voice or CW sections. THe results
are that I had two nice antennas, but the vertical is more of a
specialized instrument, one that I switch to or from depending mostly on
how far away the other Op is - but even then, conditions will change and
one or the other antenna will operate better than the other at different
times.

My experiments with both have allowed me to definitively state that
between the dipole and the ground mounted vertical, the best performer
is yes.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -