Contact Question
 

I am new to HF having just passed my General and code tests. I am putting up
a dipole the will be running due East/West at about 40ft. I really have no
other options for installation and cannot run it North/South. I am in lower
Michigan. My question is will I be able to make any East Coast contacts
with this? Specifically, I'd like to be able to monitor the W1AW bulletins,
code runs etc. I am interested in contacting the Southern states, but would
like to know if the East will be accessable.

Thanks in advance,
Doug Birky
KC8YEC/AG

congratulations.

and yes, at 40' the dipole will not be very directional except maybe on 17m
and up, and even there you will still hear, probably just not as loud.

"Doug Birky" wrote in message
...
I am new to HF having just passed my General and code tests. I am putting
up
a dipole the will be running due East/West at about 40ft. I really have
no
other options for installation and cannot run it North/South. I am in
lower
Michigan. My question is will I be able to make any East Coast contacts
with this? Specifically, I'd like to be able to monitor the W1AW
bulletins,
code runs etc. I am interested in contacting the Southern states, but
would
like to know if the East will be accessable.

Thanks in advance,
Doug Birky
KC8YEC/AG

"Doug Birky" wrote in message
...
I am new to HF having just passed my General and code tests. I am putting
up
a dipole the will be running due East/West at about 40ft. I really have
no
other options for installation and cannot run it North/South. I am in
lower
Michigan. My question is will I be able to make any East Coast contacts
with this? Specifically, I'd like to be able to monitor the W1AW
bulletins,
code runs etc. I am interested in contacting the Southern states, but
would
like to know if the East will be accessable.

Thanks in advance,
Doug Birky
KC8YEC/AG


It may or may not be accessible. However, you can dramatically improve the
situation by setting the dipole up as an inverted V. As such, it pretty
much becomes omnidirectional.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Are you saying that with the inverted V I am more likely to hear the W1AW?

Dee D. Flint wrote in message
...

"Doug Birky" wrote in message
...
I am new to HF having just passed my General and code tests. I am
putting
up
a dipole the will be running due East/West at about 40ft. I really have
no
other options for installation and cannot run it North/South. I am in
lower
Michigan. My question is will I be able to make any East Coast contacts
with this? Specifically, I'd like to be able to monitor the W1AW
bulletins,
code runs etc. I am interested in contacting the Southern states, but
would
like to know if the East will be accessable.

Thanks in advance,
Doug Birky
KC8YEC/AG


It may or may not be accessible. However, you can dramatically improve
the
situation by setting the dipole up as an inverted V. As such, it pretty
much becomes omnidirectional.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

thats what he's saying. inverted V's are a bit less directional than true
straight dipoles... and usually easier to put up.

"Doug Birky" wrote in message
...
Are you saying that with the inverted V I am more likely to hear the W1AW?

Dee D. Flint wrote in message
...

"Doug Birky" wrote in message
...
I am new to HF having just passed my General and code tests. I am
putting
up
a dipole the will be running due East/West at about 40ft. I really
have
no
other options for installation and cannot run it North/South. I am in
lower
Michigan. My question is will I be able to make any East Coast
contacts
with this? Specifically, I'd like to be able to monitor the W1AW
bulletins,
code runs etc. I am interested in contacting the Southern states, but
would
like to know if the East will be accessable.

Thanks in advance,
Doug Birky
KC8YEC/AG


It may or may not be accessible. However, you can dramatically improve
the
situation by setting the dipole up as an inverted V. As such, it pretty
much becomes omnidirectional.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Yes you should have better reception of W1AW on an inverted V dipole that a
straight dipole when you are limited in picking the orientation.

By the way, I'm a YL not an OM.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"Dave" wrote in message
...
thats what he's saying. inverted V's are a bit less directional than true
straight dipoles... and usually easier to put up.

"Doug Birky" wrote in message
...
Are you saying that with the inverted V I am more likely to hear the
W1AW?

Dee D. Flint wrote in message
...

"Doug Birky" wrote in message
...
I am new to HF having just passed my General and code tests. I am
putting
up
a dipole the will be running due East/West at about 40ft. I really
have
no
other options for installation and cannot run it North/South. I am
in
lower
Michigan. My question is will I be able to make any East Coast
contacts
with this? Specifically, I'd like to be able to monitor the W1AW
bulletins,
code runs etc. I am interested in contacting the Southern states,
but
would
like to know if the East will be accessable.

Thanks in advance,
Doug Birky
KC8YEC/AG


It may or may not be accessible. However, you can dramatically
improve
the
situation by setting the dipole up as an inverted V. As such, it
pretty
much becomes omnidirectional.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Doug Birky wrote:

I am new to HF having just passed my General and code tests. I am putting up
a dipole the will be running due East/West at about 40ft. I really have no
other options for installation and cannot run it North/South. I am in lower
Michigan. My question is will I be able to make any East Coast contacts
with this? Specifically, I'd like to be able to monitor the W1AW bulletins,
code runs etc. I am interested in contacting the Southern states, but would
like to know if the East will be accessable.

Make the "dipole" multiple wavelengths long. The major lobes will move
toward the ends of the "dipole". (I say "dipole" because it is then
actually electrically a polypole.)
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp



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On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 12:35:48 -0500, "Doug Birky"
wrote:

Are you saying that with the inverted V I am more likely to hear the W1AW?

Possibly. If you have the arrl antenna book, see page 7-3, comparing
an inverted v to a flat-top dipole. The flat-top has an oblong
radiation pattern; the inverted v, the pattern is pretty much
circular.

Same thing, page 20.11 of the arrl handbook, which also mentions,
tho', that the inverted v lobes have 8 db gain, less, than the
flat-top.

Sounds like it could be a wash...

bob
k5qwg



Dee D. Flint wrote in message
...

"Doug Birky" wrote in message
...
I am new to HF having just passed my General and code tests. I am
putting
up
a dipole the will be running due East/West at about 40ft. I really have
no
other options for installation and cannot run it North/South. I am in
lower
Michigan. My question is will I be able to make any East Coast contacts
with this? Specifically, I'd like to be able to monitor the W1AW
bulletins,
code runs etc. I am interested in contacting the Southern states, but
would
like to know if the East will be accessable.

Thanks in advance,
Doug Birky
KC8YEC/AG


It may or may not be accessible. However, you can dramatically improve
the
situation by setting the dipole up as an inverted V. As such, it pretty
much becomes omnidirectional.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"Doug Birky" wrote in message
...
I am new to HF having just passed my General and code tests. I am putting
up
a dipole the will be running due East/West at about 40ft. I really have
no
other options for installation and cannot run it North/South. I am in
lower
Michigan. My question is will I be able to make any East Coast contacts
with this? Specifically, I'd like to be able to monitor the W1AW
bulletins,
code runs etc. I am interested in contacting the Southern states, but
would
like to know if the East will be accessable.

Thanks in advance,
Doug Birky
KC8YEC/AG



In reality, W1AW is strong enough that you should be able to hear it
regularly even off the end of the dipole. And when conditions are
moderately good, other stations also. Although I would still favor an
inverted V for it's more omnidirectional pattern.

Like you, I am also in Michigan and I regularly pick up W1AW no matter what
antenna I use. Since I can normally only listen to them at night, I
typically listen to them on 40m, 80m or 160m depending on the conditions.
I've also picked them up on 20m when I was home and that band was open.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 09:27:16 -0500, "Doug Birky"
wrote:

I am new to HF having just passed my General and code tests. I am putting up
a dipole the will be running due East/West at about 40ft. I really have no
other options for installation and cannot run it North/South. I am in lower
Michigan. My question is will I be able to make any East Coast contacts
with this? Specifically, I'd like to be able to monitor the W1AW bulletins,
code runs etc. I am interested in contacting the Southern states, but would
like to know if the East will be accessable.

First... Congratulations.

You've had quite a few answers, but you didn't say which HF band(s)
you will be using.

It's been my experience on 160 through 40 that a dipole at 30 to 40
feet isn't very directional. As far as the East coast (I'm near
Midland MI) you should be able to work it with a 100 watts at night on
160 and 75. Day and early evenings on 40. The only problem with 40 at
night is the foreign broadcast.

I've worked California on 160 SSB with a dipole at 30 feet.
Not often, but I've done it. I've worked Europe on 160 CW.

No, my current station isn't using any thing at 30 feet except the
bottom of my back up vertical out in the shop, but it doesn't take a
big antenna or power to work 500 to 1000 miles on HF.

Remember too that the characteristics of these bands change quite a
bit throughout the sunspot cycle.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com


Thanks in advance,
Doug Birky
KC8YEC/AG