[FQP] FW: Relative Signals in the FQP

[Jeffrey Clarke]

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeffrey Clarke [mailto:ku8e at bellsouth.net] 
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2011 6:29 PM
To: 'fcg at kkn.net'
Subject: RE: [FQP] Relative Signals in the FQP

I'm wondering if anyone has read the articles from K0BG that he has
published on eham.net and his own web page - http://www.k0bg.com/eff.html/
about mobile antenna efficiency ? He makes it sound like he is an expert on
mobile antennas and has pretty much nothing good to say about any of the
commercially made mobile antennas and antenna mounts. He has the attitude
that these antennas are no better than having a dummy load for an antenna
and why bother if you can't do it right. I also find that W8JI tends to do
the same thing when discussing 160 meter antennas.

We all know most mobile antennas are inefficient but I think the Hamsticks
and Hustler mobile antennas are far from being dummy loads. If you mount
them on a good high spot on the car/minivan and make a reasonable effort to
ground them you will find they work pretty good. I have been using the DX
Engineering capacitance hats on my Hustler resonators which help the
efficiency somewhat. I feel by using them that we are louder. K4KG secret
weapon is to tow a Force 12 vertical dipole on a trailer for use on 20
meters and up. Their results show how well this works with an antenna
efficiency that is probably around 90%, which is way better than your
typical mobile antenna.

I always get frustrated when K4BAI tells me after a rovering trip that so
and so says we were weak compared to the other mobiles. Then I get an email
from someone or read a comment on 3830 that says how loud we were. I think
many of these reports are subjective depending on where the person doing the
reporting is. My answer to him is if we were so weak all the time we
wouldn't be making 2000+ QSO's every time we go out. I think the N4TO team
uses Hamsticks and regularly makes 3000 QSO's (using a dummy load as an
antenna?)

I would be interested in hearing some thoughts on this ?


On a related note it was very painful to have to sit on the sidelines this
year. John and I plan to make a reasonable effort to get out for the 2012
FQP.


Jeff KU8E



-----Original Message-----
From: fqp-bounces at kkn.net [mailto:fqp-bounces at kkn.net] On Behalf Of
JonHamlet
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2011 1:21 PM
To: fcg at kkn.net; fqp at kkn.net
Subject: [FQP] Relative Signals in the FQP

In reviewing the email I sent about relative signals in the FQP, I noticed
that I had omitted two of the standout mobiles in the signal reports.  I
didn’t have K4KG and N4EEB in my notes during that 30 minute sweep of
recording signals, probably just missed them.  K4KG was one of the standout
signals as I noted, and N4EEB was also right up there in what I called the
2nd group along with N4AO, K1XX, K4Q, NX4N, W4WQ, K1XX, etc.

 

I think it would interesting to know what sort of antennas the mobiles were
running.  Thanks for the photos from those of you who sent them.  I think
that anything we can do to spread the hints and kinks for next year mobiles
would be of great interest.  Those towed trailer antennas seem to be very
effective.

 

I noticed there were no reports of flying boxes this year, hi!

 

73's from 10,000'

 

 

Jon Hamlet, W4ZW/Ø

Breckenridge, Colorado 

 

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