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Beginner ham antenna questions

binrat said:
Im still calling for you when I drive into work around 12-12:30 mtn time.

Sent from my GT-S5690M using Tapatalk 2
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I'll be on 305 at that time tomorrow (today)...if things stay good we might talk...there was a lot of traffic today but I couldn't get past Texas...need to get that fan dipole up. Its finished ( except tuning) but I'm having trouble finding a tree climber.
 
Gotta get this fan dipole up. I heard a lot of 10 meter traffic yesterday but couldn't get through to any of them.

Anyone want to come to Georgia and climb 70 or so feet up in two trees to set the screw eyes?
 
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bhayles said:
Gotta get this fan dipole up. I heared a lot of 10 meter traffic yesterday but couldn't get through to any of them.

Anyone want to come to Georgia and climb 70 or so feet up in two trees to set the screw eyes?
Click to expand...

Um, no. But you can always put your ladder in a bucket truck. :love: I just WISH I had trees that tall.

73,
Brett
 
Well...been making contacts, but still nothing on 28.305.

So far I have 29 contacts...5 states and 6 Central and South American countries.

I have discovered that my second antenna needs to be a beam of some sort after the fan dipole is up (still hunting a tree climber...think I may have one). If I had had a beam today I'd have 3 more countries and about 20 more contacts.
 
You can get a used tribander (10-15-20) usually for a good price. A 3 element will not need anything major to put in the air. You can hang a rope from one end and turn it that way until you find a cheap rotor. I put up my whole tower and 6 and 10 meter beams plus rotor while on unemployment.
Rich
 
bhayles said:
Well...been making contacts, but still nothing on 28.305.

So far I have 29 contacts...5 states and 6 Central and South American countries.

I have discovered that my second antenna needs to be a beam of some sort after the fan dipole is up (still hunting a tree climber...think I may have one). If I had had a beam today I'd have 3 more countries and about 20 more contacts.
Click to expand...


That is pretty much impossible to say for sure. A beam, especially a three element tribander will only add about one S-unit to your signal over the dipole. Maybe one and a half S-units at most. Having spent 36 years in radio I have come to NEVER underestimate the ability of simple wire antennas. A beam antenna will give you an advantage but that advantage is often not near as much as you would think. Propagation and timing are everything. I have had some of my best DX while mobile and not with the tribander but it was simply because I was on the right frequency at the right time and the propagation was favourable.
 
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