Great question and perfect answer. I live in FL, and I use an end-fed longwire 200' long sitting only 6' up on top of a wooden privacy fence. Florida's ground offers me lower losses than, say, up north in New England (where I am from). Paired with a 1KW 9:1 balun and 1K amp, I do quite well with very low noise. Lesson: all grounds differ in soil conductivity and will affect antenna performance more than many think or talk about.
Great video Dave and great timing. I just put up my OCFD (7 band 135’) currently only 23’ up, 8’ at the ends. Moving it up to 35’ tomorrow- with 10’ at the ends. Now even though only 23’ (@100w), I just got a 5-9 signal report from a contact in Cuba from NH, but only 5-7 to 5-8 out to Michigan and Kentucky… I think it will do much better at 35’. 73’s!
Thanks, Dave, you do a great job explaining. On the subject of an 80M dipole - I know of no one that happens to have two 120 foot poles to string a wire between so they can be at optimum height for the 75/80 meter band. I don't have enough room to even make the wire a straight line but, works pretty darn good - I think... 🙂 Sometimes we just got to go with what we got and enjoy it. 73 WA4QGA
Hey Dave, great video about antenna heights! I have a 2-element GEM quad at 40 feet and have no issues working stations in Europe with 100 watts from the west coast! I also added a 6-meter loop to the quad antenna, as I have never work 6-meters before. So, my question is do you have a video on 6-meters operations or is it possible to make one? Thanks.
There is one thing I don’t hear much about when people talk about the height above ground effects on an antenna and it has to do with the composition of the ground under the antenna. Manny, manny years ago I read an article about this phenomenon but can’t recall what magazine I read it on. In it they spoke about how the ground affected an antenna based on these and other factors: terrain dryness, metallic content, and/ or elevation above sea level. Have you ever seen or heard about these theories?
New guy here as a tech going for general. So I'm stuck on 10 meters for a bit. But I've been having a blast with only 20 watts into a ten meter 5/8 wave ground plane that base of the antenna sets around 15 feet off the ground. If I understand you properly it's at the proper height???
Hi Dave! I just watched today's episode about antenna height and have a question: I built a "Starduster" style 11-meter CB antenna. How do you measure the height AGL of it, since the "radials" angle down at roughly 45 degrees - from the center feedpoint or from the bottom of the radials? Thanks, and 73s!
I feel sorry for Dave not understanding how height works with antennas. Generally speaking the higher you go, the better off you go. Yes, there are lobes, but your takeoff angle gets lower and lower with the higher altitudes.
@@wilipno If you want better DX, raising your antenna will always improve your power at low take off angles. Always. If you want better higher take off angles, the pattern will bifurcate but your radiation levels in the higher angles will always improve. Always. Don't limit your antenna height because someone tells you to. Limit it because you just can' t make it any higher. He doesn't address the tri band beams. Very popular but you will have either bifurcation or your TOA will be poor on the lower bands. Most people will mount their tri bander at at least 35 feet which is good for 20M. It will bifurcate at 15 and 10M. So what? People love them and people get great results. Dave doesn't mention that? Is it because he fully understands these concepts that he omits so much information? Maybe so. But he tells you to worry about something that you don't need to worry about. Most people won't even have an opportunity to worry about having better successes. Go ahead and limit yourself needlessly. No sweat off my back.
As a listener only, hoping to pick up distant AM stations, my naive guess is that higher and longer has a better chance of catching a signal? I enjoy your videos.
For NVIS horizonatal dipole ,minimum height 1/8th of a wavelength high. so 10m height on 80m band and 5m height on 40m.. Below 1/8 wl ground losses increase at a higher rate the lower you go .
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I love the rotary phone Dave...
It was great talking to you in person at Pacificon. I enjoyed your talks.
"I made an error. Here is the correct information..." and move one. If only everything could be handled like that. 🙂
Great question and perfect answer. I live in FL, and I use an end-fed longwire 200' long sitting only 6' up on top of a wooden privacy fence. Florida's ground offers me lower losses than, say, up north in New England (where I am from). Paired with a 1KW 9:1 balun and 1K amp, I do quite well with very low noise. Lesson: all grounds differ in soil conductivity and will affect antenna performance more than many think or talk about.
Great video Dave and great timing. I just put up my OCFD (7 band 135’) currently only 23’ up, 8’ at the ends. Moving it up to 35’ tomorrow- with 10’ at the ends. Now even though only 23’ (@100w), I just got a 5-9 signal report from a contact in Cuba from NH, but only 5-7 to 5-8 out to Michigan and Kentucky… I think it will do much better at 35’. 73’s!
All hams, old Elmers say , “ Height is Mighty” JohnBoyUtah KJ7TBR But Dave is a Scientist he has the numbers. Good show 😎🇺🇸🎙📡
Thanks, Dave, you do a great job explaining. On the subject of an 80M dipole - I know of no one that happens to have two 120 foot poles to string a wire between so they can be at optimum height for the 75/80 meter band. I don't have enough room to even make the wire a straight line but, works pretty darn good - I think... 🙂 Sometimes we just got to go with what we got and enjoy it. 73 WA4QGA
Hey Dave, great video about antenna heights! I have a 2-element GEM quad at 40 feet and have no issues working stations in Europe with 100 watts from the west coast! I also added a 6-meter loop to the quad antenna, as I have never work 6-meters before. So, my question is do you have a video on 6-meters operations or is it possible to make one? Thanks.
Thanks Dave!
There is one thing I don’t hear much about when people talk about the height above ground effects on an antenna and it has to do with the composition of the ground under the antenna. Manny, manny years ago I read an article about this phenomenon but can’t recall what magazine I read it on. In it they spoke about how the ground affected an antenna based on these and other factors: terrain dryness, metallic content, and/ or elevation above sea level. Have you ever seen or heard about these theories?
It is (or was) covered in the ARRL Antenna Handbook.
Also height above electrical earth and ground permeability to take into consideration. Dave has years of experiance 🎉
Thank you, Dave. That was a nice, brief review. N0QFT, Glen
New guy here as a tech going for general. So I'm stuck on 10 meters for a bit. But I've been having a blast with only 20 watts into a ten meter 5/8 wave ground plane that base of the antenna sets around 15 feet off the ground. If I understand you properly it's at the proper height???
And 'ground' varies from low water level sandy hills or mountains to high salty water level clay itself below sea level.
Hi Dave! I just watched today's episode about antenna height and have a question: I built a "Starduster" style 11-meter CB antenna. How do you measure the height AGL of it, since the "radials" angle down at roughly 45 degrees - from the center feedpoint or from the bottom of the radials? Thanks, and 73s!
Dustin if you’re not a paytreon you will not get an answer .
Can use a CRT yoke deflection core for end fed unun . If possible make a video about this
I feel sorry for Dave not understanding how height works with antennas. Generally speaking the higher you go, the better off you go. Yes, there are lobes, but your takeoff angle gets lower and lower with the higher altitudes.
Why do you feel sorry for Dave? He fully understands how height works with antennas. Notice that he does show take-off angles as height increases..
@@wilipno If you want better DX, raising your antenna will always improve your power at low take off angles. Always. If you want better higher take off angles, the pattern will bifurcate but your radiation levels in the higher angles will always improve. Always. Don't limit your antenna height because someone tells you to. Limit it because you just can' t make it any higher. He doesn't address the tri band beams. Very popular but you will have either bifurcation or your TOA will be poor on the lower bands. Most people will mount their tri bander at at least 35 feet which is good for 20M. It will bifurcate at 15 and 10M. So what? People love them and people get great results. Dave doesn't mention that? Is it because he fully understands these concepts that he omits so much information? Maybe so. But he tells you to worry about something that you don't need to worry about. Most people won't even have an opportunity to worry about having better successes.
Go ahead and limit yourself needlessly. No sweat off my back.
As a listener only, hoping to pick up distant AM stations, my naive guess is that higher and longer has a better chance of catching a signal? I enjoy your videos.
for receive, the higher is better, pick a good design to minimize atmospheric and common mode noise though
For NVIS horizonatal dipole ,minimum height 1/8th of a wavelength high. so 10m height on 80m band and 5m height on 40m.. Below 1/8 wl ground losses increase at a higher rate the lower you go .
when you talk height on a efhw vertical wire, is it the height at the top or bottom of antenna or feed point? KJ5IKB
Dave has a PhD in HAM radio!!
Thanks Dave. So, this explains transmitting take off angle, but does antenna height affect reception as well? DE WZ3J
It's the same for transmit and receive.
Wahoo😊
I'm going to lower my 2 Meter antenna to 3 feet off the ground and have a killer signal.