Many vertical antennas can work well close to the ground. However, once you mount an 11 meter horizontal 5 feet off the ground, you have lost most of the horizontal component and directional characteristics. The close ground reflections force the signal up into the vertical plane.
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Is the Sirio Gain Master really a good DX vertical ?
- Thread starter RadioDaze
- Start date
Just for clarification, Are you are referring to a beam antenna mounted horizontally 5 feet off the ground? If so, Why? Because most people I know mount their horizontal orientated antenna higher than just 5 feet. Thanks.
I'm not sure where this is documented but anytime I've placed a dipole on this band that low to the ground, it was sensitive to signals from more than just the broadside directions and also gained vertical sensitivity at the loss of horizontal signal. On that note, all I have to go on is memory here so if someone has had a similar or different experience, please share.
I found this at the ARRL dot ORG site but it was referring to a horizontal antenna over flat ground
"The dipole is a straight length of wire (or tubing) into which radio-frequency energy is fed at the center. Because of its simplicity, the dipole may be easily subjected to theoretical performance analyses. Further, the results of proper analyses are well borne out in practice. For these reasons, the half-wave dipole is a convenient performance standard against which other antenna systems can be compared. Because the earth acts as a reflector for HF radio waves, the directive properties of any antenna are modified considerably by the ground underneath it. If a dipole antenna is placed horizontally above the ground, most of the energy radiated downward from the dipole is
reflected upward. The reflected waves combine with the direct waves (those radiated at angles above the horizontal) in various ways, depending on the height of the antenna, the frequency, and the electrical characteristics of the ground under and around the antenna. At some vertical angles above the horizon, the direct and reflected waves may be exactly in phase—that is, the maximum signal or field strengths of both waves are reached at the same instant at some distant point. In this case the resultant field strength is equal to the sum of the two components. At other vertical angles the two waves may be completely out of phase at some distant point—that is, the fields are maximum at the same instant but the phase directions are opposite. The resultant field strength in this case is the difference between the two. At still other angles the resultant field will have intermediate values. Thus, the effect of the ground is to increase the intensity of radiation at some vertical angles and to decrease it at others. The elevation angles at which the maxima and minima occur depend primarily on the antenna height above ground. (The electrical characteristics of the ground have some slight effect too.)"
Reference https://www.arrl.org/files/file/antplnr.pdf
You can scroll down to page 5 under Horizontal Antennas Over Flat Ground
"The dipole is a straight length of wire (or tubing) into which radio-frequency energy is fed at the center. Because of its simplicity, the dipole may be easily subjected to theoretical performance analyses. Further, the results of proper analyses are well borne out in practice. For these reasons, the half-wave dipole is a convenient performance standard against which other antenna systems can be compared. Because the earth acts as a reflector for HF radio waves, the directive properties of any antenna are modified considerably by the ground underneath it. If a dipole antenna is placed horizontally above the ground, most of the energy radiated downward from the dipole is
reflected upward. The reflected waves combine with the direct waves (those radiated at angles above the horizontal) in various ways, depending on the height of the antenna, the frequency, and the electrical characteristics of the ground under and around the antenna. At some vertical angles above the horizon, the direct and reflected waves may be exactly in phase—that is, the maximum signal or field strengths of both waves are reached at the same instant at some distant point. In this case the resultant field strength is equal to the sum of the two components. At other vertical angles the two waves may be completely out of phase at some distant point—that is, the fields are maximum at the same instant but the phase directions are opposite. The resultant field strength in this case is the difference between the two. At still other angles the resultant field will have intermediate values. Thus, the effect of the ground is to increase the intensity of radiation at some vertical angles and to decrease it at others. The elevation angles at which the maxima and minima occur depend primarily on the antenna height above ground. (The electrical characteristics of the ground have some slight effect too.)"
Reference https://www.arrl.org/files/file/antplnr.pdf
You can scroll down to page 5 under Horizontal Antennas Over Flat Ground
I had an Antron mounted about 3'. It did better than I thought it would.
I'm all Maki bro. Don't know how to navigate this site. I fell dumb. Thanks for response. Buddy I'm lost on posting, or anything. I do have radio probs. dont want to be rude to the site
DXman
Yes, that's 3100 degrees F. Nine yrs of hard work.
Good ole Bruno, I have talked with him and his wife Luna several times, she is one funny lady on the radio!!
The gain master has beaten alot of 5/8 vertical and people still don't believe how good it is.
Put it up against a maco 3 element on the vertical side then after it beats it then leave it alone.
Put it up against a maco 3 element on the vertical side then after it beats it then leave it alone.
The Gain Master has an edge on other 5/8 wave antennas for sure. It works DX well with virtually no RFI. However, if it ever outperforms a 3 element vertical beam, that beam was definitely not working correctly or the test had other, unconsidered variables skewing the results.