11 meter is very quiet?

The biggest reason for lack of base station activity here around the Houston area is Deed restrictions.

 

I keep forgetting, I am in the woods middle of nowhere. I have heard if you check some of these lot restrictions they infringe on your constitutional rights, and would not stand up in court. In the U.S.A I have heard you have some rights to an antenna in law, and these local laws will not stand. I would look into covert antenna of some sort, flag pole radiators, In tree vertical loops of fine wire, there are ways to get the job done.

 

I use an indoor MLA for most CB or Ham communications. It's not the greatest for local chatter but usually with dx if I can hear them, they can hear me.

 

What are your thoughts on out door MLA, would they out perform, a full wave loop antenna I get about 3 dbi over a dipole with one of my loops, and my 2 loops together get me 6 dbi, in a directional pattern. I have no experience with MLA, some people post they are great some say they are not so good. I am always looking for new things to play with, even did a loop array for my tv set, and it is working amazingly well. Yes making antennas is a serious hobby here for the last year or so.

 

I wanted an indoor solution to our "no external antenna" HOA-NAZI regime. Even with crappy band conditions if I hear them, they usually hear me. I've used this on 10,11, 20, and 40 meters using 4-20 watts (4w when using my FT-817 and 15/20 when using my TS-2000).

I don't have a dipole or other base antenna to compare it with and only know what I've read online when it comes to that type of A/B comparison. I did do a "2nd floor-indoor / outside-of-garage" test and didn't notice a big difference.

As well, I compared the MLA vs. my mobile antenna and it was about 1 or 2 S-Units less with the MLA. As you've probably read, if you move around a band much, prepare for a lot of turning the V Cap. This has never really been a sore point with me. Higher up in frequency (10/11m) it's a larger bandwidth so usually I don't have to mess with the v cap much at all. Would I go with an MLA again? Given my circumstances - Yep.

The mantra I try to follow is: "The best antenna is the one you have to use" (or something like that).

 

That is a fact, the one that works, is the one you use. Great skip here today, hitting as far as florida, made dozens of contacts from here in Ontario Canada, even hearing Alaska on am.

 

Finally got someone on 16LSB today, I was listening to an out of state SDR, really cool!

 

I will check in on 16 in a bit, sorry to say I forgot to do 16, am 20, and 38lsb were so alive, I got caught up on it, first day we did the channel 16 I did talk with one of the members on here. Not picked up anybody else since. I will do better to check 16. "NORTH 7" Said that!!

 

It's good to see that someone is using 16lsb, and, SDR sites make for great listening.

 

Not quiet around here.

 

I had an Alexloop for a while and loved it. Used it outdoors and indoors on the ham bands but have no doubt it would work great on 11 meters as well. Sold it and got the MFJ 1786 to have remote tuning. Big mistake. As usual, MFJ quality was poor. Loose nuts and bolts + eratic performamce = return for refund.

 

I thought it was so you didn’t have to listen to that guy in New Mexico.

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We had late night DX on the west coast last night. Made a couple of good contacts, first DX in over a month!

 

Finally this Am , chatted w/ 056 Ontario Canada , Great Conditions , 20Db+ into Ontario !

 

I am sure we heard you in there, last 2 days been great, looking forward to more, I will be on there often, "NORTH 7 , Ontario"