| Author |
Message |
    
Charliebrown
Member
Username: Charliebrown
Post Number: 75
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, June 12, 2010 - 11:44 am: | 
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TECH 833 OR 808, My antenna is 30 feet off the ground on top of a ridge with a lot of tall trees around it. When I tried to raise the antenna above the tree tops I would loose my signal a lot. Like it was in a dead spot. I think that to find the next hot spot the antenna should be at 72 feet above the ground. If this is not so, could you correct me on this. I would hate to go so far up the hill (500 feet) and do all that for nothing. If I move the antenna from side to side 6 inches to a foot either way I loose the best signal. I know from a conversation we had before that the antenna for best skip is to be as high as possible, but I just seem to loose that signal even if I just go 5 to 10 feet higher. There is no other spot on the hill that has any better signal than where it is. So, what do you think about my situation? As soon as I get my ground plane for my imax and depending on your advice, I plan on doing what has to be done for the signal improvement if any can be possible. I have been using a walkie talkie to find my hot spot for my antenna. Is there anything else I could use to find the signal any better? |
Tech833
Intermediate Member
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 198
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, June 12, 2010 - 7:56 pm: |
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So... I am confused. Is your antenna on TOp of the ridge? Meaning 360 degree view all around? Or, is your antenna on the side of a slope? As in, views obstructed in some areas by land mass?
Need to know before I'm able to formulate a possible answer.
Your radio 'Mythbuster' since 1998
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Charliebrown
Member
Username: Charliebrown
Post Number: 76
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, June 12, 2010 - 8:48 pm: |
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My antenna is on top of the first ridge. It is basicly higher than most mountains around me except for the extreme southern ridge which is app. 70 feet higher. To get to that place I would have to run another 700 feet of line. That would be an awful lot of line loss just for 70 feet higher. Now at the present location the antenna likes only 22 feet to be high enough to clear the tree tops. I had raised the antenna a year ago about 10 feet higher than the antenna which is now at 30 feet to the base of the antenna. When I raised the antenna the extra 10 feet, I lost a lot of my transmitt and receive. I did not have to add any cable to raise it so that was not the problem. I made sure that the antenna did not move to the left or right any because if it moves 6 to 12 inches either direction I loose my hot spot. I do not know if you have ever seen this with your experence however, I have on this hill. I would like to raise the antenna higher but, I also would hate to raise it 36 feet higher or 20feet higher without the hope of knowing that it would either help the signal or hurt the signal as it did when I had raised it from 30 feet to 40 feet. It takes a bit of effort to go 500 feet up the hill with all the things it takes to get the antenna higher and even more effort to take it back down lower if it fails to help. I was just wanting to know what you would do and what you think about this before I start doing this project. Do you think I will find the hot spot again at 72 feet? If so it looks like I will have to get an antenna tower up that hill someway with some concrete. Sorry about not giving you enough info before. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE VERY HELPFULL. I would hate to do all that work and it not help me. I like talking skip on side band better than talking local. Thanks for your time and effort in helping me. |
Tech833
Intermediate Member
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 199
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, June 13, 2010 - 12:57 am: |
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This seems easy enough...
If moving the antenna hurts the performance, don't move it. You're already on a hill, so your takeoff angle will be low already. Adding more mast will probably not lower the takeoff angle much more, if at all.
Your radio 'Mythbuster' since 1998
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Dale
Senior Member
Username: Dale
Post Number: 1604
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, June 13, 2010 - 4:31 pm: |
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i agree . being on a hill you shouldnt need
your antenna much higher.id leave it alone
if ya need more range id get a beam a mount it
exactly same height.or get a amp
dale/a.k.a.hotrod
cef426
cvc#64
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Charliebrown
Member
Username: Charliebrown
Post Number: 77
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, June 13, 2010 - 8:45 pm: |
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Thanks 833 and Dale. The one problem every cb person has is just like race car drivers PERFORMANCE, PERFORMANCE, PERFOERMANCE.. Everyone most of the time tries to get the most power to the antenna and try to get the best signal to do better. I guess sometimes some of us may not accept the fact that once you have reached as much improvement as one can get, that enough is enough. For me a beam that far on the hill would not be worth the effort or money to run what it takes 500 feet up the hill for now. Thanks for the advice anyway however, I will keep it in mind perhaps for a later project. For now everything is on hold for we had a very bad flood this week end. THANK GOD NO ONE LOST THEIR LIFE OR WAS INJURED. AND THANK GOD IT DID NOT GET INSIDE MY HOME. BUT WE ALL SUFFERED SET BACKS. HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT DAY AND THANKS ONCE AGAIN FOR THE ADVICE. For now c.b. is QRT. |
