I'd go for a 1/2 wave vertical. That raises the feed point impedance making the antenna efficiency independent of the local ground connection and helps get the current loop up in the clear. A 5/8 wave vertical is nearly as good in terms of "ground independence" while providing more low-angle gain as the pattern compresses (think of a donut lying on its side and being squashed flatter and becoming larger in diameter as the height increases). Longer than 5/8 wave the pattern starts to fragment into high-angle lobes.
Where in your lineup is the premier DX band: 20 meters? It's open far more often than 15 during this part of the DX cycle and it's where DX has hung out, historically, since "daylight DX" was first discovered by the "ancient ones". A full-sized 1/4 wave vertical on 20 meters is only 16 feet high. That's short enough for most of us to be able to put it up "in the clear" with radials well elevated above ground so signal isn't absorbed by buildings and the ground losses are very low, even with only four radials. (It's been demonstrated that four radials a few feet above the ground are as efficient as 50 to 100 radials on the ground.) The vertical can be made inexpensively from some TV mast, conduit tubing or made from wire and hung from a tree. Twenty has always been my favorite band for DX-ing, running anything from QRPp (hang out near 14.060) to QRO. It's also the band where I'm most often called by DX in response to my CQ. I'm a rag chewer more than a DX hound and I've had a number of very interesting QSOs with DX stations on 20 who called me. That usually happens when the band sounds dead so I call CQ. Suddenly a very nice signal from half way around the world answers. Sometimes we'll chat for a few minutes. Inevitably we'll hear tuners-up around the frequency and know the "jig is up". As soon as I sign it's bedlam with stations climbing all over themselves in a pileup even though it's usually not an especially rare DX station at all. It doesn't happen every day by any means, but when it does it's always fun: for me far more fun that being in the pileup just trying to be acknowledged. When you do call CQ, always check a couple of kHz off to the sides of your frequency. Some DX has called me zero beat, but that's trouble when the pileup starts: they'll all zero beat with me, right on his frequency. The smart DX stations answer my CQ a couple of KHz away so the inevitable pileup will land on frequency I used where he wants them <G>. Much is said about 20 being the privileged domain of the "big guns". Personally, I think that's poppycock. I've been haunting 20 meters regularly since the 1950's running anything from a few milliwatts of half a kilowatt. Sure, if you want to compete for a QSO with the latest and rarest DX station, get in the log of current DX-pedition or rack up big scores in a contest, you'll be elbow to elbow with full-legal-limit stations with big antennas but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy 20 meters with a modest station too. Besides, there's a LOT to 20 meters besides pileups and contests. Ron AC7AC -----Original Message----- If a person wants to work DX on a shoe string which band should they focus on? I'm assuming it is cheaper to pick one or two bands rather than to try to be a big gun on all of them. Yea, I know you can work DX on just about anything but that isn't the point. The question is which band allows you to get the most bang for the buck. - 40 meters. A vert of 1/4 to 3/8 wave makes you very competitive on this band. A dipole at 1/2 wave high is tough to do. A Yagi is even tougher. The tall vertical is relatively easy and cheap while providing a better low angle signal than a low horizontal antenna. - 30 meters. Again. 3/8 vertical. The power limit on 30 makes for a more level playing field. - 15 meters. Antenna sizes and heights are manageable. Here a mono-band yagi on a 25' pole will work well at a moderate cost. Those are my thoughts. What are yours? - Keith N1AS - - K2 5411.ssb.100 - _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
