Watts or Antenna most important for DX?

[Ranier1315]

Which would be the most important especially for a mobile unit. Just trying to decide if I need a better Antenna setup or more amps.

Currently running a Galaxy DX 95t2 40w dead swinging to 150w.

Hustler FG 27 s mid load antenna with SWR= 1.2/ch1 and 1.5/ch 40.

I spend most of my DX efforts on 38 LSB cause w/o my Ham ticket it's the closest to the kind of DX I am interested in. (seems to be a more civilized crowd.)

Thanks for the input and patients with a relative noob.

 

[GnG8d]

I would make sure you're antenna system is all it can be before worrying about more power.

I don't personally know anything about that antenna, but it certainly isn't a popular choice. Look at Wilson and Sirio.

 

[camaro1]

agree!!,, you have plenty of power to talk ssb,, make sure your radio is on frequency and look into a sirio antenna.

 

[Ranier1315]

Ok so Antenna would be more important? I will look into those. Does Sirio make a mobile antenna? The first google search just found base station models.

Thanks for the quick responses guys.

 

[RatsoW8]

I always remember what an Elmer told me years ago. If you can't hear it you can't work it. No amount of power will make up for a poor antenna system so I always maximize my antennas first and rarely have to run an amp.

 

[MikeAlpha]

Antenna.

 

[camaro1]

sirio 5000

 

[hotrod]

i was told many moons ago its all about antenna. for talking dx the best imho would be
a flatside beam sirio makes a 3 and 4 element version. if these are out then id try
a sirio 2016 thats what i use and make plenty of contacts. you would need to
double your power to see just 1 s-unit

 

[vkrules]

Antenna! You have plenty of power to work with.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Agreed. Antenna is more important than power and you already have plenty of that. I have worked the world on 10m with 100 watts maximum and usually with just 25 watts but I used full sized 1/4 wave antennas not some short base loaded bumper mounted thing.

 

[fogdog]

Predator 10K of course.

 

[9C1Driver]

Which would be the most important especially for a mobile unit. Just trying to decide if I need a better Antenna setup or more amps.

Currently running a Galaxy DX 95t2 40w dead swinging to 150w.

Hustler FG 27 s mid load antenna with SWR= 1.2/ch1 and 1.5/ch 40.

I spend most of my DX efforts on 38 LSB cause w/o my Ham ticket it's the closest to the kind of DX I am interested in. (seems to be a more civilized crowd.)

Thanks for the input and patients with a relative noob.

As far as DX goes, mother nature has complete control there. No antenna or amplifier can overcome conditions or lack there of.

As far as any cb system, the antenna is key and height is might. In the mobile run the best quality antenna you can afford. Mount it so it has the best ground plane, and make sure your SWR is set as low as it can go.

On a base set up a guy could run a barefoot 2950 off an IMAX 2000 say 90 feet up. He would be able to talk just as far as a guy running the same radio with a 250 watt amplifier but only 15 feet off the ground with his IMAX.

 

[Ranier1315]

Thanks. Now I'm in the market for a new antenna. One issue I have and the main reason I went with the mid load antenna was to elevate the majority if the antenna above the top of my jeep. I like the predator especially the 17" that will keep the antenna above my jeep.

 

[Tripple Nickel]

As far as DX goes, mother nature has complete control there. No antenna or amplifier can overcome conditions or lack there of.

As far as any cb system, the antenna is key and height is might. In the mobile run the best quality antenna you can afford. Mount it so it has the best ground plane, and make sure your SWR is set as low as it can go.

On a base set up a guy could run a barefoot 2950 off an IMAX 2000 say 90 feet up. He would be able to talk just as far as a guy running the same radio with a 250 watt amplifier but only 15 feet off the ground with his IMAX.

9C1Driver, No truer words were spoken, short of it, in late 60's Mr.Skip in Baxter GA was a member of our club, he was paralized due to diving accident. His parents made sure he had the BEST including a moonraker. He was talking to Watchmaker in downtown London England, we were maybe 30 miles apart so I broke and asked him if I could try to reach him, Watchmaker said go ahead, I almost fell out. I was on a Titan ll,Contex 500, and a BigStick in top of a pine tree on a mast. So go figure it out, it's all about mother nature just like 9C1Driver said, condition is everything. 3's to you and good evening.
555

 

[W5LZ]

Going strictly by the title of the thread, power is a loosing proposition from the start. The antenna can make more difference than power.
There are 'catches' to that, primarily what's practical and reasonable. Then, the results are always determined by propagation, like it or not.
- 'Doc