| Author |
Message |
    
Dale
Senior Member
Username: Dale
Post Number: 1668
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, December 05, 2010 - 3:16 pm: | 
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hi all, im in a valley very bottom.
gotta go uphill to goto town..lol anyhow
i live by an airport so im limited by height restrictions.landlord says 30-40 feet at highest
point .so rite now im using my sirio 2016
at 10 feet off ground. which puts the top
at 30 feet.now i gotta 20feet mast if i put
the top one on would that work better. the top radials would be at 32 feet vs 10 feet.
or should i just raise my current antenna being it has a little gain?they say height is might
so which is more important height or gain.antenna only needs to cover 11 meter
any help here would be appreciated
dale/a.k.a.hotrod
cef426
cvc#64
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Charliebrown
Intermediate Member
Username: Charliebrown
Post Number: 138
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, December 05, 2010 - 4:20 pm: |
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Dale, Antenna gain is more important when you are limited as you are. Even though I am surrounded with high mountain's, I alway's try to get as much as I can with ground's and gpk along with the antenna. My antenna is almost on top of the mountain. 36 feet to the bottom of the antenna is a full wave for 11 meter anyway. It would be nice if you could have both. Have a great day Dale and I hope this answer's your question. |
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 1386
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 06, 2010 - 9:47 am: |
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Having lived in a bowl that made accessing even the local 2m repeater difficult, I have to disagree with Charliebrown. I tried antennas with gain and had no success - remember the more gain a vertical has the lower it's angle of radiation (in general). This antenna was as high as my landlord would allow (30ft above the house roof).
My success came when I got rid of the commerical 9dbi antenna and replaced it with a 1/4 wave groundplane at the same height. Suddenly not olny was I able to access the local repeater (10miles away), but also Sydney (110miles), Taree (100 miles with almost full quietning.
Gain may be helpful, but you still have to get the signal over the hills, and for that height and a relatively high anfle of radiation help more.
Tech237
N7AUS
God only made some many perfect head, on the rest he put hair.
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Charliebrown
Intermediate Member
Username: Charliebrown
Post Number: 140
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Monday, December 06, 2010 - 5:38 pm: |
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Tech 237, Do you think that Dale could install a beam and have the beam angled to a certain degree so the signal would shoot over the mountain's and still enjoy the gain of the beam? Of course the beam would not be helpful for local but with the antenna he now has he could stack it with the beam and still talk local. What do you think? would that help Dale any? Just a thought. |
Mikefromms
Senior Member
Username: Mikefromms
Post Number: 1097
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Monday, December 06, 2010 - 8:26 pm: |
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Highest gain, highest height and lowest loss coax. It's not always practical to go high up; so, good gain and at least 18 feet to base of antenna. At least you don't have any loss in the ooax and you will do reasonably well locally and terrific in dx land. |
Charliebrown
Intermediate Member
Username: Charliebrown
Post Number: 141
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 07, 2010 - 9:06 am: |
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High Mike, Here where I live the mountain's are much more in height than Dale is having to deal with. I to have tried different thing's and some failed and some did not. I have a friend that is a ham operator and he still use 11 meter as well. He lived in a valley with the mountain's much closer together than mine. He angled his beam to where it would shoot the signal over the mountain's. It worked for him well. My other friend did as you had said with an antron 99 and he did well also. Of course living in these type of condition's even at best there will alway's be draw back's. I have a roof top and an antenna on the top of a mountain and as you would guess the antenna on the mountain even with the coax loss still will out perform my roof top. But I have seen some skip condition's where the roof top will receive and transmit better than the mountain antenna. Each location is different and what will work for one might not work for another. I guess it is trial and error until one can find what will work for them... Got to go Mike you and other's have a great day. |
Dale
Senior Member
Username: Dale
Post Number: 1669
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2010 - 7:40 pm: |
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thxs guys. mike i got low loss coax already.
but just gotta keep within my heght restrions
of 30ft. wish i kwew what the TRUE gain of
the maco 5/8 is.let me ask this i got the sirio
2016 with multi short radials. the maco has
4 full lenth radials. would there be any advantages there or not enough to mention
dale/a.k.a.hotrod
cef426
cvc#64
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Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 1894
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, December 12, 2010 - 11:15 am: |
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If you're in a bowl, you need to take advantage of RF refraction to get out from it. But, don't forget, you also have to get signals IN to it, two way radio needs signals TWO ways...
If in a bowl, best bet is to use horizontal polarization. It will help the refraction. Beam or omni, doesn't matter. You just don't want a lot of gain that focuses your signal on the horizon, right into your mound of dirt (hillside).
If you use a beam, try some up-tilt, focused on the top of the rim of your bowl.
Your radio 'Mythbuster' since 1998
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Dale
Senior Member
Username: Dale
Post Number: 1680
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Friday, March 04, 2011 - 4:48 pm: |
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thanks tech 833. sorry for long response
i would be using a verticle stick only
heres what ive been lookn at tell me what u
think
sirio m-400 [starduster]
sirio gain master
dale/a.k.a.hotrod
cef426
cvc#64
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Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 1923
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, March 06, 2011 - 12:54 pm: |
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The gainmaster might be worse than the Starduster.
Seriosuly, your best bet would be to mount the antenna on its side and use it as a horizontal dipole.
Your radio 'Mythbuster' since 1998
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Dale
Senior Member
Username: Dale
Post Number: 1689
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Monday, March 28, 2011 - 9:42 pm: |
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i thought about a horizonal dipole .sirio
makes one i been looking at. that would be
fine with me for dx. but im looking for
local [20-50 miles] and long groundwaves
[50-100 miles]plus good mobile 2 base performance that why i was looking at the sirio gain master.so for what im wanting the starduser
how about the sirio top one?
dale/a.k.a.hotrod
cef426
cvc#64
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