Got off work last night at midnight. Went home and cracked a beer then went out to the shack. I keyed up and was trying to get ahold of a local on 28 AM and a guy comes back. We were both on vertical him running a 6 element quad and me on my 5 element yagi both at 60 ft. We both put our larger amps inline and made it easier. Both antennas had both polarities and we saw about 2 sunits better signal when both were on the flat vrs vert. Checked the distance on distance from to. 148 miles. I thought that was pretty good for the power we started with. He goes by harley rider. That was running 50 watts avg. 200 pep. Peace! Also could barely hear him on his GP. A local built both antennas from Nashville.
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150 miles with 200 watts pep
- Thread starter Mr Clean
- Start date
The guy making the antennas was called wild bill. I go to Nashville 3 or 4 times a year and have heard of him and his antennas before. He makes the ground plane about 31 ft long with a gama. It was at 40 ft and I could hear it so I would think it to be a pretty good antenna. Anyone from the area have any info on his antennas? There are some you tube videos testing it against a imax but cant watch it till I get home from work. Here is the vid.
Wild Bill CB Ground plane antenna vs iMax 2000 video 2 - YouTube
Wild Bill CB Ground plane antenna vs iMax 2000 video 2 - YouTube
RatsoW8
Supporting Member, W9WDX ARC Member - WD8T
I have never heard of regular propogation like that on CB or 10 meters. I've had it happen before but not all the time. That's more like day time propogation on 40 meters which I do understand. Maybe a propagation guru can chime in and explain it..I'm too lazy to crack a handbook.
I have never heard of regular propogation like that on CB or 10 meters. I've had it happen before but not all the time. That's more like day time propogation on 40 meters which I do understand. Maybe a propagation guru can chime in and explain it..I'm too lazy to crack a handbook.
Its just direct earth mode propagation, the earth, as well as hills and mountains have a tendency to refract or bend lower frequency radio waves beyond the line of site, just like 40 meters in the daytime only not as good. I think, but I am not sure that some of it propagates through the earth similar to ground wave propagation on LF, as I do know soil conductivity, vegetation and humidity play into it.
In theory CB would work better than 2 meter SSB, but in reality the noise floor is much much greater due to both natural and not so natural reasons. I have known people to talk up to 300 miles on 2m and 6m SSB, and knew someone with a set of beams running about 5kw on CB that could talk 200 miles almost any day of the week, on AM!!
LOS is not a definite limit.
I have never heard of regular propogation like that on CB or 10 meters. I've had it happen before but not all the time. That's more like day time propogation on 40 meters which I do understand. Maybe a propagation guru can chime in and explain it..I'm too lazy to crack a handbook.
I will let you know how repeatable it is. And this was on AM. I talk to Daddy Long Legs in Lexington ky at like 177 miles but this was me running 500 avg 1600 pep and him running about double. 3 to 5 sunits on both ends.I can talk to Lexington better than Louisville and Louisville is 70 miles closer because there are some pretty big hills between me and there. Farthest ive talked with what seemed to be groundwave conditions was Snakedoctor and Gentleman Jack at 230 miles but I know I dont hear them most the time and it was for sure some great groundwave conditions. Sometimes it runs better than others. They are down by the TN / AL state line. Im in southern Indiana. On SSB about 2 weeks ago talked to Speedway indiana by Indy on SSB him being on a groundplane and 250 watts at 160 miles or so. All these conditions didnt act like backscatter as I was pointed were I wanted to talk. I do some of this late night and not alot of big hills in most directions away from me. Also it is very quiet as far as noise out here in the country. Power and phone lines are underground. You cant talk to them if you cant hear them. Also im up pretty good for being near the river as far as elevation goes. Daddy Long Legs Snake Doctor and Gentleman Jack were all running flatside. Flat to flat is were its at for groundwave for sure! This is what I use to check distances and it is very handy. Helps with pointing your beam also.
http://www.distancefromto.net/
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the beams is why that was possible. and plus you was using the flatside. that
was more the reason then power used.if ya used 5/8 groundplanes at that
height then your results may not been as good. now if ya guys were to
use ssb ya probaly could talk also with less power yet.i gotta guy over in
clevland,ohio and aniother past new castle,pa .both are 60-70 miles away from me
in different directions they talk everyweek on flat side beams with only 100 watts about.
so the distance your talking really isnt unheard of atleast not for me. but very good
hookup
was more the reason then power used.if ya used 5/8 groundplanes at that
height then your results may not been as good. now if ya guys were to
use ssb ya probaly could talk also with less power yet.i gotta guy over in
clevland,ohio and aniother past new castle,pa .both are 60-70 miles away from me
in different directions they talk everyweek on flat side beams with only 100 watts about.
so the distance your talking really isnt unheard of atleast not for me. but very good
hookup
I agree on the SSB thing. Much easier with less power. In very hilly areas I would think distances would drop alot. When I had a groundplane 80 miles was rare and I thought very good. A good beam more than doubled it.
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I talked to wild bill afew mins ago in greenvale tn. The guy that makes the antennas. First time talking to him. Distance from to said 163 miles. I was using 500 watts avg 1500 or so pep. This sounds like a lie and would not hardly believe it myself but he was just using a saturn doing about 15 watts he said. His amp was not working. I know meters are all different but had 2 s units on him. Turned my amps off using a uniden grant doing about 4 watts swinging 18 and he said he had 4 s units on me. Very hard to believe. He said he used to talk to mt carmel illinois which is another 40 miles or so further than me often talking to a friend of his barefoot.He was running a quad he could switch polarities by turning the whole beam. Channels 21 and 22 AM. Thats my story and im sticking to it. I would not even think it possible. Radios are almost. magic Talked to about 5 outher stations down that way also. Peace!
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