Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T) wrote:



I'm aware of the B&W "radiating dummy load" (TTFD) antennas but I'm not
quite ready to give up that much efficiency and I'm DEFINITELY not ready
to blow $300 on one.

I used one for a few years with great success on all bands 80 thru 10.
Don't let the old 'dummy load' stories throw you. You can build one
easily -- there are lots of plans -- just google it as T2FD.

Irv VE6BP

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:10:10 +0000, Irv Finkleman wrote:

I used one for a few years with great success on all bands 80 thru 10.
Don't let the old 'dummy load' stories throw you.

All I can say is, I was on a CAP HF net a while ago with another station
about 10 miles away from here, and we were both working another station
about 125 miles north. I was running 5 watts to a cut dipole at 17 feet,
and the 10-mile-away station was running 100 watts to a B&W at 25 feet.
The faraway station reported that my signal was stronger than his by a
comfortable margin.

This morning I was on the same net with the same 10-mile-away station,
working another station about 90 miles away. He reported the faraway
station as weak but readable, and I was receiving it loud and clear, about
10 over S9.

I realize there are MANY other variables that could account for this and
the only real proof will be if I set a T2FD up here and compare them side
by side... still, the difference in signal reports is impressive and more
than I expected.

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:49:45 -0400, "Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T)"
wrote:

He reported the faraway
station as weak but readable, and I was receiving it loud and clear, about
10 over S9.

Hi Rick,

The difference is called propagation, and you have the advantage of
being in line-of-sight. Even a Christmas tree bulb can communicate
that far at those antenna heights.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 08:47:33 -0700, Richard Clark wrote:

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:49:45 -0400, "Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T)"
wrote:

He reported the faraway
station as weak but readable, and I was receiving it loud and clear, about
10 over S9.

Hi Rick,

The difference is called propagation, and you have the advantage of
being in line-of-sight. Even a Christmas tree bulb can communicate
that far at those antenna heights.

Good afternoon, Richard.

I guess I wasn't clear. Stations A (me) and B are 10 miles apart.
Station C is 90 miles from both stations A and B, broadside to a line
between stations A and B. Station A runs a cut dipole at 17 feet and
Station B runs a B&W at 25 feet. Station C comes in weak at Station B
(with the B&W) but strong at Station A (with the cut dipole).

I suppose that propagation between Stations C and A will be different than
between C and B, but usually not that different...

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:01:53 -0400, "Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T)"
wrote:

I guess I wasn't clear.

Hi Rick,

Quite so by the lengthier description offered.

I suppose that propagation between Stations C and A will be different than
between C and B, but usually not that different...

It would be a curious exception, indeed.

I can imagine the difference in A/B received signal strengths is found
in the tuner at A.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:16:11 -0700, Richard Clark wrote:

I can imagine the difference in A/B received signal strengths is found
in the tuner at A.

Ah, but "A" is me, and my dipole is cut for the frequency ... no tuner
involved. The 10-mile-away station with the B&W also has no tuner. So,
tuners don't enter into the picture for this particular test.

On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:36:49 -0400, "Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T)"
wrote:

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:16:11 -0700, Richard Clark wrote:

I can imagine the difference in A/B received signal strengths is found
in the tuner at A.

Ah, but "A" is me, and my dipole is cut for the frequency ... no tuner
involved. The 10-mile-away station with the B&W also has no tuner. So,
tuners don't enter into the picture for this particular test.

Ah², but the sense of tuner is found in "tuned" (as in "my dipole is
cut for the frequency").

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC