best for low height

[stingray]

what would be better for a low height install on my garage? 1/2 wave or 5/8 wave? If I remember reading correctly, a half wave will work better than a 5/8 at a low height because it has a higher take off angle to get the signal out?
I have both antennas and want to put the best up.

 

[vkrules]

Depends on what you mean by low. If your mounting point is low, ( i.e mounting on a 6 ft hockey stick on the garage)the longer the ant the better. the 5/8 or a.64 better still. If surrounding obstructions ,trees buildings hills etc, are a problem you might be better off with the shorter ant on a longer mast. I.E a 1/4 wave ground plane on a 19 ft mast can outperform a 5/8th mounted on the hockey stick( same overall height) because of the higher radiation angle as you said.Either way height is might and you would be surprised at how little difference (Real world!) there is between all these ants when mounted at the same tip height. Now stand by for the flack !

 

[wavrider]

Depends on what you mean by low. If your mounting point is low, ( i.e mounting on a 6 ft hockey stick on the garage)the longer the ant the better. the 5/8 or a.64 better still. If surrounding obstructions ,trees buildings hills etc, are a problem you might be better off with the shorter ant on a longer mast. I.E a 1/4 wave ground plane on a 19 ft mast can outperform a 5/8th mounted on the hockey stick( same overall height) because of the higher radiation angle as you said.Either way height is might and you would be surprised at how little difference (Real world!) there is between all these ants when mounted at the same tip height. Now stand by for the flack !

Agreed, if the tip of the antennas are mounted at the same height, would be hard to tell the difference between the two antennas,

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Aflac or flack?
Aflac Dancing Duck Commercial - New Aflac Duck Voice - YouTube

 

[Road Squawker]

... a higher take off angle to get the signal out...

depends on how you operate,.........

BTW, a LOW TOA is better for DX

 

[vkrules]

depends on how you operate,.........

BTW, a LOW TOA is better for DX

Yes high and in the clear I agree .You missed the point, no good to you if it's just firing into the building or hillside next door.

 

[W5LZ]

If I had both antennas I think I would try each, see which performed best in my particular installation situation. For the difference in height if both antenna's tips are at the same height, I seriously doubt if there would be any particular advantage. A 5/8 wave antenna tends to have an advantage over a 1/2 wave antenna, yes. But don't expect a stupendous difference in performance.
The one thing that will help both of those antennas is more height, which is the case for any VHF/UHF antenna no matter what it's electrical length.
If you can't try both antennas for whatever reason then opt for the 5/8 wave. There won't be any serious advantage, but maybe some...
- 'Doc

 

[AudioShockwav]

You missed the point, no good to you if it's just firing into the building or hillside next door.

Very true.

I have had 1/4 GP antennas outperform longer antennas because of this, sometimes you do not want a low angle of radiation if you are surrounded by obstructions.


73
Jeff

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

what would be better for a low height install on my garage? 1/2 wave or 5/8 wave? If I remember reading correctly, a half wave will work better than a 5/8 at a low height because it has a higher take off angle to get the signal out?
I have both antennas and want to put the best up.

What brand/make of antennas you got?

 

[Road Squawker]

Yes high and in the clear I agree .You missed the point, no good to you if it's just firing into the building or hillside next door.

Gee, I dunno. I reread the OP's post twice. as written, nowhere does he even mention hills, buildings, ect, blocking the signal.

he does specifically refer to ToA Vs HaaT

 

[W5LZ]

I don't think getting too hung-up on TOA is always a good idea, signals arrive at all angles not just low ones. That HAAT does compensate to a not small extent so is nice to have (especially at VHF/UHF).
The biggest and bestest isn't always...
- 'Doc

 

[hotrod]

what would be better for a low height install on my garage? 1/2 wave or 5/8 wave? If I remember reading correctly, a half wave will work better than a 5/8 at a low height because it has a higher take off angle to get the signal out?
I have both antennas and want to put the best up.

imho id say the 5/8 wave .BUT only bya very small margin. a sirio vector 4k i think
would be the way to go for this install cause its the longest antenna made .

 

[Marconi]

imho id say the 5/8 wave .BUT only bya very small margin. a sirio vector 4k i think
would be the way to go for this install cause its the longest antenna made .

I agree again Hotrod, but I would caution not to mount the Vector so low an close to other devices that will respond to direct RF from the antenna.

I mounted my Sigma4 a few inches from the ground about 15' from the back wall of my shack and the RF was very heavy inside. You might need to at least get this one a few feet above where you live and at my location that is about 20' feet.

There are reliable sources that also suggest the Sigma4 is very effective being low to the Earth, plus the patent suggest this is one of the advantages, a much smaller radial foot print, when using the Sigma4 design, and for sure compared to a convential 5/8 wave with 18' wide diameter radials.

 

[stingray]

What brand/make of antennas you got?

I have a radio shack clr 2 copy (5/8 wave) and an antenna specialists mighty magnum 3 (1/2 wave )

 

[hotrod]

I agree again Hotrod, but I would caution not to mount the Vector so low an close to other devices that will respond to direct RF from the antenna.

I mounted my Sigma4 a few inches from the ground about 15' from the back wall of my shack and the RF was very heavy inside. You might need to at least get this one a few feet above where you live and at my location that is about 20' feet.

There are reliable sources that also suggest the Sigma4 is very effective being low to the Earth, plus the patent suggest this is one of the advantages, a much smaller radial foot print, when using the Sigma4 design, and for sure compared to a convential 5/8 wave with 18' wide diameter radials.

ive heard of people having alot of rf/tvi from these antennas.im sure raising them up
a little higher ,make a rf choke on the coax and add a lpf. that should help with that.
far as height i naver installed this one but from the reading ive found online suggests
18 feet as the lowest mounting point.although maybe with the lenth of this one you
might get away with it lower, not sure