What if you have a lot of 50 to 80ft tall pine trees on the acreage? I
live on a 500ft hill that slopes down agressively from a 2 acre flatter
spot at the top. The hill is covered in trees. I have a 70ft tower on
the highest knobe that I can load up well with a gama match on 40m, 80M
and 160m. The wire ground plane I has 45x 120ft wires which run down
the hill through the woods.

The Top-Band seems OK. On 160M I worked all states in one weeked last
winter (contest). But on 80m and 40m I have had very little luck
working anything. I suspect the trees are grabbing all the RF energy.

Because the trees are virticle conductors I'm thinking that a
horozontal dipole might work better. I'll only be able to get it as
high as the tree tops. Maybe an average of 55ft high near the edge of
an east facing clift. Since I live on the West Coast this might give me
good coverage on the States on 40 and 80 meters for next falls Salmon
Run? What do you think?


Bob
AC7PN