Just heard, and googled, very sorry to hear this, was hoping to swing by SD to see this kind, thoughtful chap. very very sorry did not see him before he passed. I am now mad at myself for not making time to see him, he seemed to like SD very much, god bless you stan
Stan, 6M has been my favorite band for years. I made a 6M dipole from 1/2" aluminum tubing, each piece was about 54" long. A wire dipole works well also. I worked over 30 states with it using FT-8 mode and with the antenna in the horizontal position. I have your book Ham Radio Encyclopedia and enjoy your videos. Take care, Phil N4STC
Your video on "The perfect open wire dipole" was wonderful. Your comments were turned off so I am gathering materials to build a 200 ft dipole for HF out back & see if this little green box SST T-1 from 1971 will work with a 450 ohm ladder wire hooked to it in the dog house. 73s💙
Here's what I understand about polarization choice. It's not a lot and I may be inaccurate. On VLF and LF I have read many text that say horizontal polarization doesn't work well due to the large size of antennas and closeness to the ground. In MF areas vertical is almost always chosen due to simplicity of antennas and the fact that cars have vertical antennas. As for the High Frequencies of hamdom I am not sure the choice is always clear cut. It seems to me a lot of hams use horizontal and I think that is because of the cost and choices of easy to build projects. Also noise is a factor. Horizontal does not sense vertically polarized noise (mostly man made) as well. But hams do use verticals for different things. In the FM industry the Halo antenna is used extensively and they are horizontally polarized. But does that match up with the car antenna. No it doesn't. But it works. Most FM stations are designed for ERP and try to keep the signal low to the ground. Television used to be almost exclusively horizontal. Now I read that some TV and FM stations actually add a vertical component to their broadcast. Cable TV! No polarization there! Radar and microwave? Circular, horizontal and vertical are all used. EME in ham radio is often circular (or elliptical). The important thing is distance I would think. And much of the time distance is achieved through the ionosphere or sporadic E and etc. One thing I have read and heard is that once your signal bounces the polarization can change. I believe that to be true. I know many have Quads set up to transceive in vertical or horizontal mode. And I have heard with my ears the operator try both with better results using one or the other. If your trying to use the ionosphere to transport your signal around the world having the right amount of ERP in the lower angle is a must. It can be done with both H or V. I wish I were smart enough to say "thou shalt polarize this way or that way". Somebody smarter than me knows.
You have some great information there and thank you for the write-up. I must point out though that FM radio is generally broadcast in Vertical polarisation, with an array of vertical dipoles. This matches nicely with the (generally) vertical polarisation of a vehicles receive FM antenna. And this is because polarisation matters. Try to receive a horizontally polarised signal with a vertically polarised antenna and you will lose 20+ dB of receive signal. Guaranteed. Polarisation matters..
@@johnc3403 Thanks, most of the FM stations that I worked at had Halo antennas in the horizontal mode. I understand now that some stations tie in a "vertical bar" to add a vertical component. I believe the FCC still requires some compatability. But they once relied on a lot of power. I have read that some television stations do a similar thing in achieving a vertical component. Why I am not sure. Maybe to help the rabbit ears? Here is an artical to read about FM station polarization: fmbroadcastantenna.com/range_and_polarization.html Elsewhere on this site they give a sales pitch about having both polarization modes. I have not been in the AM/FM broadcast industry in 30 years so things may have changed. But I tell you that it was an exciting time in my life. There was more money to be made elsewhere. One thing I didn't mention in my treatise above is the fact that police and fire use a lot of vertical polarization too. But they are trying to achieve low radiation angles and high gain.
Yes, horizontal is preferred for 6 Meter CW/SSB, but when the band is open you will be heard with a vertical. If only you could get help locally from a ham or friend to put up a horizontal dipole or a lightweight 3 or 4 element yagi and turn it with the Armstrong method. I won the ARRL VHF contest on 50 MHz from SNJ [Southern New Jersey] one year, back in the 1980s using 3 elements at only 15 feet running about 100 watts, all SSB. I'd come out there to help ya but I'm physically unable. I need help myself. Why not make the BROADSIDE PHASED ARRAY you described 5 years ago. That seems like it could do well on 6. How much power does your ICOM706 put out on 50 MHz, 10 or 100? Good luck in whatever you decide and may God bless.
To be fair Stan, when 6mtrs is open, anything will work! I used to use 5w into a dipole (about 25 years ago) and that got me just as far as my current home-brew HB9CV and 100watts! Mind you, I now have S9 of noise floor to deal with!
Consider a dipole on 6. It would be simple to build and would not take up a lot of real estate. I recall that the ARRL Handbooks in the 50s and 60s always provided a lot of ideas. de W8YI
RIP Stan ... very sad you're not around
Just heard, and googled, very sorry to hear this, was hoping to swing by SD to see this kind, thoughtful chap. very very sorry did not see him before he passed. I am now mad at myself for not making time to see him, he seemed to like SD very much, god bless you stan
Rest in peace, brother.
Rest in peace Stan, you were a ham radio god.
I love this guy.
My too, but he is SK. Ron W4BIN
Stan, 6M has been my favorite band for years. I made a 6M dipole from 1/2" aluminum tubing, each piece was about 54" long. A wire dipole works well also. I worked over 30 states with it using FT-8 mode and with the antenna in the horizontal position.
I have your book Ham Radio Encyclopedia and enjoy your videos. Take care, Phil N4STC
Phil. Sadly, Stan went Silent Key back in May of this year, just days after posting this video.
Thanks for the mica capacitor video. I needed the info!
Your video on "The perfect open wire dipole" was wonderful. Your comments were turned off so I am gathering materials to build a 200 ft dipole for HF out back & see if this little green box SST T-1 from 1971 will work with a 450 ohm ladder wire hooked to it in the dog house. 73s💙
Here's what I understand about polarization choice. It's not a lot and I may be inaccurate. On VLF and LF I have read many text that say horizontal polarization doesn't work well due to the large size of antennas and closeness to the ground. In MF areas vertical is almost always chosen due to simplicity of antennas and the fact that cars have vertical antennas. As for the High Frequencies of hamdom I am not sure the choice is always clear cut. It seems to me a lot of hams use horizontal and I think that is because of the cost and choices of easy to build projects. Also noise is a factor. Horizontal does not sense vertically polarized noise (mostly man made) as well. But hams do use verticals for different things.
In the FM industry the Halo antenna is used extensively and they are horizontally polarized. But does that match up with the car antenna. No it doesn't. But it works. Most FM stations are designed for ERP and try to keep the signal low to the ground. Television used to be almost exclusively horizontal. Now I read that some TV and FM stations actually add a vertical component to their broadcast. Cable TV! No polarization there! Radar and microwave? Circular, horizontal and vertical are all used. EME in ham radio is often circular (or elliptical).
The important thing is distance I would think. And much of the time distance is achieved through the ionosphere or sporadic E and etc. One thing I have read and heard is that once your signal bounces the polarization can change. I believe that to be true. I know many have Quads set up to transceive in vertical or horizontal mode. And I have heard with my ears the operator try both with better results using one or the other. If your trying to use the ionosphere to transport your signal around the world having the right amount of ERP in the lower angle is a must. It can be done with both H or V. I wish I were smart enough to say "thou shalt polarize this way or that way". Somebody smarter than me knows.
You have some great information there and thank you for the write-up. I must point out though that FM radio is generally broadcast in Vertical polarisation, with an array of vertical dipoles. This matches nicely with the (generally) vertical polarisation of a vehicles receive FM antenna. And this is because polarisation matters. Try to receive a horizontally polarised signal with a vertically polarised antenna and you will lose 20+ dB of receive signal. Guaranteed. Polarisation matters..
@@johnc3403 Thanks, most of the FM stations that I worked at had Halo antennas in the horizontal mode. I understand now that some stations tie in a "vertical bar" to add a vertical component. I believe the FCC still requires some compatability. But they once relied on a lot of power. I have read that some television stations do a similar thing in achieving a vertical component. Why I am not sure. Maybe to help the rabbit ears?
Here is an artical to read about FM station polarization: fmbroadcastantenna.com/range_and_polarization.html
Elsewhere on this site they give a sales pitch about having both polarization modes.
I have not been in the AM/FM broadcast industry in 30 years so things may have changed. But I tell you that it was an exciting time in my life. There was more money to be made elsewhere. One thing I didn't mention in my treatise above is the fact that police and fire use a lot of vertical polarization too. But they are trying to achieve low radiation angles and high gain.
i was taught that e propagation or refraction had no bearing or effect on vertical or horizontal unless its ground wave communciations
Yes, horizontal is preferred for 6 Meter CW/SSB, but when the band is open you will be heard with a vertical. If only you could get help locally from a ham or friend to put up a horizontal dipole or a lightweight 3 or 4 element yagi and turn it with the Armstrong method. I won the ARRL VHF contest on 50 MHz from SNJ [Southern New Jersey] one year, back in the 1980s using 3 elements at only 15 feet running about 100 watts, all SSB. I'd come out there to help ya but I'm physically unable. I need help myself. Why not make the BROADSIDE PHASED ARRAY you described 5 years ago. That seems like it could do well on 6. How much power does your ICOM706 put out on 50 MHz, 10 or 100? Good luck in whatever you decide and may God bless.
oh no Stan, Thank you for all your knowledge my friend. W6LDM
To be fair Stan, when 6mtrs is open, anything will work! I used to use 5w into a dipole (about 25 years ago) and that got me just as far as my current home-brew HB9CV and 100watts! Mind you, I now have S9 of noise floor to deal with!
What happened Stan? He didn’t post anything recently ?
I understand from the internet that he is not among us anymore.
According to his Wiki page, he became an SK on 3 May 2020. He was the coolest guy on RUclips.
Consider a dipole on 6. It would be simple to build and would not take up a lot of real estate. I recall that the ARRL Handbooks in the 50s and 60s always provided a lot of ideas. de W8YI
I'm reading his teach yourself electronics at least I am trying this guy had to be a genius
hello stan
Use a vertical and eat more berries.
I've enjoyed your books and materials that you've produced. 73 KD0MOO