Half Wave, 5/8'S WAVE VERTICAL ANTENNA HELP!

[rrsounds]

Yes, pirates seem to prefer vertical polarization as it gives them the most bang for the buck, not to mention the antennas are easier to homebrew.

Hey, Freebird,
I had a friend who home-brewed a CP bay, so I know that if there's a will, there's a way. Looked pretty cool! He tested it with an exciter, and it got out pretty well, with decent VSWR.

You forgot one other thing that might be important to a pirate: Vertical antennas are much easier to hide! LOL!

Kind regards,
David

 

[rrsounds]

I will say that I did find one pirate in Brooklyn with a two-bay circularly polarized antenna. However, every other one I've located has been vertical-only, and usually the Dominator-type antenna.

The dominator folks are prolific in indicating stations in the US are using their antennas but I've never been able to verify the supposed coverage or claims they make, or their gain figures.

The thread started with the dominator link. An African station uses their antenna! If thye could provide some verifiable information why not do so??

I'd like to see a chart of their circularity of coverage. The only way to get truly omni-directional coverage with a vertical is if the antenna itself is a free-standing mast. Side-mounting really throws a spanner in the works, as they say. Even CP antennas have problems getting circularity in the vertical polarization.

Kind Regards,
David

 

[Engineer]

I'd like to see a chart of their circularity of coverage. The only way to get truly omni-directional coverage with a vertical is if the antenna itself is a free-standing mast. Side-mounting really throws a spanner in the works, as they say. Even CP antennas have problems getting circularity in the vertical polarization.

In the field, one finds many of these antennas on a building-supported mast in a relatively-clear aperture, but with unintentional and frequently-variable mechanical beam tilt...

 

[Play Freebird]

Hey, Freebird,
I had a friend who home-brewed a CP bay, so I know that if there's a will, there's a way. Looked pretty cool! He tested it with an exciter, and it got out pretty well, with decent VSWR.

You forgot one other thing that might be important to a pirate: Vertical antennas are much easier to hide! LOL!

Yes, with copper pipe fittings, skill, and patience, it's indeed possible to make a close replica of a Shively 6812-style bay. You and I are probably thinking of the same homebrewer, who does very impressive work. Was his "experimental" station on 94.9?

One good way to hide a rooftop vertical is to make it a "Ventenna":
http://www.ventenna.com/Commercial-Description.html

 

[Nostalgia]

They have these on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HIGH-GAIN-FM-BR...in_0?hash=item2302b7e573&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
And they have a testimonial from the Africa station: KTR, hmmmm a K prefix, I guess if you go all the way around the world it is west of the Mississippi! ;D

 

[Shockwave]

They have these on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HIGH-GAIN-FM-BR...in_0?hash=item2302b7e573&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
And they have a testimonial from the Africa station: KTR, hmmmm a K prefix, I guess if you go all the way around the world it is west of the Mississippi! ;D

I guess because Sidney installed the antenna for an African client we are to assume the man is unable to discern the difference in range between the old dipole and new antenna?

 

[rfry]

I guess because Sidney installed the antenna for an African client we are to assume the man is unable to discern the difference in range between the old dipole and new antenna?

Maybe the new antenna did better in some directions than the old one, and maybe in other directions it did not.

However the alleged, superior, general performance of one transmit antenna over another at a given installation cannot be shown by hearsay, and/or by undocumented and unproven statements.

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