Re: Topband: Comparing antennas was: Re: 160m loaded tower

[Pete Smith N4ZR]

This is really cool. Somehow I had managed to miss the emergence of the 
Kiwi WEBSDR network.  Clearly, that *is* a better way


73, Pete N4ZR

On 1/18/2023 4:52 PM, VE6WZ_Steve wrote:

Further to Don and Steve’s comment about using an on-line KIWI WEBSDR to check 
your signal, I just uploaded a video I had made that shows how this works.

This is a short 4 min Video, but shows how easy it is to see any changes using 
the S-meter extension.
In this video I am showing the directivity of my 9 Circle RX array:

https://youtu.be/GzW8Ji49Kt4  

73, de steve, ve6wz



On Jan 18, 2023, at 10:32 AM, Don Moman VE6JY  wrote:

Even better is to use S Meter dropdown in the KIWI extensions menu it
gives a strip chart style presentation that can be configured to easily
show small differences in signal levels, far easier to watch and more
accurate  than the S meter display.


On Wed, Jan 18, 2023 at 10:27 AM STEVE MCDONALD  wrote:


Pete, I’ve found the best way to A/B antennas in real time is to listen on
one of the hundreds of online Kiwi SDRs …. You can flip from one antenna to
the other instantly and the difference is readily apparent. RBN can never
be A/B ‘d instantly.

Steve VE7SL


_
Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband  - Topband Reflector

_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Comparing antennas was: Re: 160m loaded tower

[VE6WZ_Steve]

Further to Don and Steve’s comment about using an on-line KIWI WEBSDR to check 
your signal, I just uploaded a video I had made that shows how this works.

This is a short 4 min Video, but shows how easy it is to see any changes using 
the S-meter extension.
In this video I am showing the directivity of my 9 Circle RX array:

https://youtu.be/GzW8Ji49Kt4 

73, de steve, ve6wz


> On Jan 18, 2023, at 10:32 AM, Don Moman VE6JY  wrote:
> 
> Even better is to use S Meter dropdown in the KIWI extensions menu it
> gives a strip chart style presentation that can be configured to easily
> show small differences in signal levels, far easier to watch and more
> accurate  than the S meter display.
> 
> 
> On Wed, Jan 18, 2023 at 10:27 AM STEVE MCDONALD  wrote:
> 
>> Pete, I’ve found the best way to A/B antennas in real time is to listen on
>> one of the hundreds of online Kiwi SDRs …. You can flip from one antenna to
>> the other instantly and the difference is readily apparent. RBN can never
>> be A/B ‘d instantly.
>> 
>> Steve VE7SL
>> 

_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Comparing antennas was: Re: 160m loaded tower

[Pete Smith N4ZR]

I agree entirely - the challenge is to model a tower and two multiband 
yagis with sufficient fidelity.


73, Pete N4ZR

On 1/18/2023 2:19 PM, James Wolf wrote:

It's quite possible that the addition of a beam at 60 ft. could cause capacity 
hat effect changing the current flow in the tower.  It might be worth modeling 
this.

Jim - KR9U


I have a 100 ft tower with jk mid tri 40 on top. When shunt fed, it
was pretty competitive on 160. Recently the antenna seems to be a few
db weaker. The only change was adding another beam at 60ft. Could it
have had an impact? Adding the beam only marginally affected the match.

_
Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband  - Topband Reflector

_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Comparing antennas was: Re: 160m loaded tower

[James Wolf]

It's quite possible that the addition of a beam at 60 ft. could cause capacity 
hat effect changing the current flow in the tower.  It might be worth modeling 
this.

Jim - KR9U 

>> I have a 100 ft tower with jk mid tri 40 on top. When shunt fed, it 
>> was pretty competitive on 160. Recently the antenna seems to be a few 
>> db weaker. The only change was adding another beam at 60ft. Could it 
>> have had an impact? Adding the beam only marginally affected the match.

_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: 160m loaded tower

[Ignacy Misztal]

In a number of QSOs recently, other stations made easy contact and my
station struggled. I make sure to exclude stations on the east coast and
those with 4sq.
Ignacy NO9E

On Wed, Jan 18, 2023 at 11:31 AM Stan Stockton  wrote:

> Ignacy,
>
> Is your thought that you are a few dB weaker based on sone kind of A-B
> test of the two antenna setups or just that you feel weaker?
>
> 73…Stan, K5GO
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Jan 17, 2023, at 9:44 PM, Ignacy Misztal  wrote:
> >
> > I have a 100 ft tower with jk mid tri 40 on top. When shunt fed, it was
> > pretty competitive on 160. Recently the antenna seems to be a few db
> > weaker. The only change was adding another beam at 60ft. Could it have
> had
> > an impact? Adding the beam only marginally affected the match.
> >
> > Ignacy NO9E
> > _
> > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
> Reflector
>
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Comparing antennas was: Re: 160m loaded tower

[Don Moman VE6JY]

Even better is to use S Meter dropdown in the KIWI extensions menu it
gives a strip chart style presentation that can be configured to easily
show small differences in signal levels, far easier to watch and more
accurate  than the S meter display.


On Wed, Jan 18, 2023 at 10:27 AM STEVE MCDONALD  wrote:

> Pete, I’ve found the best way to A/B antennas in real time is to listen on
> one of the hundreds of online Kiwi SDRs …. You can flip from one antenna to
> the other instantly and the difference is readily apparent. RBN can never
> be A/B ‘d instantly.
>
> Steve VE7SL
>
>
> - Original Message -
>
>
> This would have been more helpful to Ignacy before the second antenna
> went up, but taking off from Stan's question ... if you want to get a
> quick quantitative comparison between two transmitting antennas, you can
> use the Reverse Beacon Network.  Go to
> https://reversebeacon.net/main.php.  Transmit a CQ or test (CQ or TEST
> at least twice, and your callsign 3-4 times) and note the spots that
> result.  QSY at least 0.3 KHz and repeat.  You should see spots from
> some of the same stations, and you can readily tell (in dB) which
> antenna was stronger.  You can do the same trick to compare receiving
> antennas, without QSYing, but you must wait 10 minutes before the system
> will accept a second spot of the same station from you.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
>
> On 1/18/2023 11:31 AM, Stan Stockton wrote:
> > Ignacy,
> >
> > Is your thought that you are a few dB weaker based on sone kind of A-B
> test of the two antenna setups or just that you feel weaker?
> >
> > 73…Stan, K5GO
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> >> On Jan 17, 2023, at 9:44 PM, Ignacy Misztal  wrote:
> >>
> >> I have a 100 ft tower with jk mid tri 40 on top. When shunt fed, it was
> >> pretty competitive on 160. Recently the antenna seems to be a few db
> >> weaker. The only change was adding another beam at 60ft. Could it have
> had
> >> an impact? Adding the beam only marginally affected the match.
> >>
> >> Ignacy NO9E
> >> _
> >> Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband  - Topband
> Reflector
> > _
> > Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband  - Topband
> Reflector
> _
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
> Reflector
>
>
> WEB - "The VE7SL Radio Notebook": http://qsl.net/ve7sl/
>
> VE7SL BLOG - "Homebrewing and Operating Adventures From 2200m to
> Nanowaves":
> http://ve7sl.blogspot.ca/
> _
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
> Reflector
>
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Comparing antennas was: Re: 160m loaded tower

[STEVE MCDONALD]

Pete, I’ve found the best way to A/B antennas in real time is to listen on one 
of the hundreds of online Kiwi SDRs …. You can flip from one antenna to the 
other instantly and the difference is readily apparent. RBN can never be A/B ‘d 
instantly.

Steve VE7SL 


- Original Message -


This would have been more helpful to Ignacy before the second antenna 
went up, but taking off from Stan's question ... if you want to get a 
quick quantitative comparison between two transmitting antennas, you can 
use the Reverse Beacon Network.  Go to 
https://reversebeacon.net/main.php.  Transmit a CQ or test (CQ or TEST 
at least twice, and your callsign 3-4 times) and note the spots that 
result.  QSY at least 0.3 KHz and repeat.  You should see spots from 
some of the same stations, and you can readily tell (in dB) which 
antenna was stronger.  You can do the same trick to compare receiving 
antennas, without QSYing, but you must wait 10 minutes before the system 
will accept a second spot of the same station from you.

73, Pete N4ZR

On 1/18/2023 11:31 AM, Stan Stockton wrote:
> Ignacy,
>
> Is your thought that you are a few dB weaker based on sone kind of A-B test 
> of the two antenna setups or just that you feel weaker?
>
> 73…Stan, K5GO
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Jan 17, 2023, at 9:44 PM, Ignacy Misztal  wrote:
>>
>> I have a 100 ft tower with jk mid tri 40 on top. When shunt fed, it was
>> pretty competitive on 160. Recently the antenna seems to be a few db
>> weaker. The only change was adding another beam at 60ft. Could it have had
>> an impact? Adding the beam only marginally affected the match.
>>
>> Ignacy NO9E
>> _
>> Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband  - Topband Reflector
> _
> Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband  - Topband Reflector
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector


WEB - "The VE7SL Radio Notebook": http://qsl.net/ve7sl/

VE7SL BLOG - "Homebrewing and Operating Adventures From 2200m to Nanowaves": 
http://ve7sl.blogspot.ca/ 
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Topband: Comparing antennas was: Re: 160m loaded tower

[Pete Smith N4ZR]

This would have been more helpful to Ignacy before the second antenna 
went up, but taking off from Stan's question ... if you want to get a 
quick quantitative comparison between two transmitting antennas, you can 
use the Reverse Beacon Network.  Go to 
https://reversebeacon.net/main.php.  Transmit a CQ or test (CQ or TEST 
at least twice, and your callsign 3-4 times) and note the spots that 
result.  QSY at least 0.3 KHz and repeat.  You should see spots from 
some of the same stations, and you can readily tell (in dB) which 
antenna was stronger.  You can do the same trick to compare receiving 
antennas, without QSYing, but you must wait 10 minutes before the system 
will accept a second spot of the same station from you.


73, Pete N4ZR

On 1/18/2023 11:31 AM, Stan Stockton wrote:

Ignacy,

Is your thought that you are a few dB weaker based on sone kind of A-B test of 
the two antenna setups or just that you feel weaker?

73…Stan, K5GO

Sent from my iPhone


On Jan 17, 2023, at 9:44 PM, Ignacy Misztal  wrote:

I have a 100 ft tower with jk mid tri 40 on top. When shunt fed, it was
pretty competitive on 160. Recently the antenna seems to be a few db
weaker. The only change was adding another beam at 60ft. Could it have had
an impact? Adding the beam only marginally affected the match.

Ignacy NO9E
_
Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband  - Topband Reflector

_
Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband  - Topband Reflector

_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: 160m loaded tower

[Stan Stockton]

Ignacy,

Is your thought that you are a few dB weaker based on sone kind of A-B test of 
the two antenna setups or just that you feel weaker?

73…Stan, K5GO

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 17, 2023, at 9:44 PM, Ignacy Misztal  wrote:
> 
> I have a 100 ft tower with jk mid tri 40 on top. When shunt fed, it was
> pretty competitive on 160. Recently the antenna seems to be a few db
> weaker. The only change was adding another beam at 60ft. Could it have had
> an impact? Adding the beam only marginally affected the match.
> 
> Ignacy NO9E
> _
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector