The Antenna Mystery - Ham Radio DX Antenna Enigma

[@mikethornton8043]

Peter, back in 2010, I put up a 43 foot vertical wire antenna with the base 3 feet above the ground. I attached 2 elevated radials, each 33 feet long and tuned the antenna to 40 meters through a tuner in the shack. I was able to put a tremendous signal into South Africa every night from my QTH in Kansas. I am a big believer in elevated vertical antennas with two elevated radials. Keep up the good work. I enjoy your videos very much. 73, WC0L

[@watersstanton]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[@timmcilraith8762]

Christchurch was built on swampy land. Now, somewhat drained, its main water source is still artesian. The 2011 earthquake caused major liquefaction and flooding across the city. And the whole city is only a few metres above sea level, and less if you live near a beach. Great for vertical aerials. Any thoughts on this ?

[@brianfields4479]

Thanks Peter, great to use , such simple bits of wire, with good results. 73 zl3xdj

[@davidportch8837]

another interesting video Peter... Hope your cold improves soon.

[@georgwor8955]

Very interesting video, thank you very much! And I love to see you are running your (probably older 2011 - 2015?) iMac on macOS Ventura. :) The guys behind the Opencore Legacy Patcher are a role model for sustainability.

[@raulgongora5288]

Twaskyou sr for new information about,radio stations antenas. Blessings

[@IainDavies-z2l]

It might be an idea not to sit on a seat with so many springs in it.

[@ssubaihi]

Thank U Sir.Peter for such interesting investigation I think something relevant to (Polarization Deviation) as the Signal takeoffs , Goes throw a hub or two , Refractions, then Lands at UK ...

[@dandypoint]

Good job again! Yes, I agree that elevated radials make a large improvement. I have used verticals mostly for 160 and 80 meters. At those frequencies it becomes harder to install elevated radials and especially hard to get a full size 160 or 80 meter vertical elevated! On 40 it starts to be easier. I have had a couple 40 meter verticals elevated maybe 10 feet or so. It still does not equal my dipoles at modest heights here in the USA so I stick with dipoles on 40. At my home QTH I am all horizontal above 80 meters, however for my portable and POTA activity I find verticals as the way to go for me. Again elevated radials takes a lot of time and energy. My age may have something to do with the energy part! I tend to use 3 short ground radials with my vertical clamped to a picnic table when camping. That gives acceptable results, but I do think elevated radials would get more DX for sure. I think getting above the ground gives gain by reducing the ground losses significantly. I do a similar thing with my 160 meter inverted L ( top loaded vertical) by making it longer than a quarter wave long to move the high current point away from the ground like it is in a conventional ground mounted quarter wave vertical. My 80 meter half square has a similar situation where it is fed from a top corner which has an upside down current profile compared to bottom fed verticals. The two vertical elements in the half square have a current minimum near the ground and the high current ( low impedance point) is at the top, well away from the ground. 73, de N4DJ

[@watersstanton]

Very interesting info. Many thanks for sharing your experience. Much appreciated.

[@ronandrew878]

Peter thank you for the video. very interesting. cant find ZL3 XDJ ?

[@brianfields4479]

Iam right here hi. Qrz or use zl3xdj on you tube.

[@watersstanton]

Should come up on KZbin

[@CamilleCullen-ow6qj]

Very interesting video, many thanks! Robert K5TPC

[@olivierzanutti1644]

Hello, this summer I have done a lot of tests on a vertical, on the ground with radials on the ground and raised 1m with 1 and 2 radials raised 1m too. If the "on the ground" version works, it is this last raised version that works best and is more quickly placed for the SOTA/POTA, and it requires fewer radials to be placed. on4zo

[@watersstanton]

Interesting info.

[@hamshackleton]

An NZ Geordie! 🙂 and I notice that at 11.27 in his vid clip, his ground is very wet, with a stream or ditch running parallel to his wires, and what looks like a boggy patch or small pond to the extreme right, partly hidden by shrubbery. That may be having an effect, too!

[@watersstanton]

Yes could be although he noticed a big improvement when using elevated radials.

[@32_bits]

A simpler possibility is your positioning of your vertical and also the type of vertical. A very simple thing to try is a 17ft telescopic whip with 4 radials setup in the middle of your garden (away from fences etc) on a tripod or ground mounted. On 20m its very easy to get a perfect swr by adjusting the whip length. Then compare this to your existing vertical, elevating the verticals could also be tried. At least this would rule out your existing vertical being an issue.

[@watersstanton]

I have already tried that. Next test is similar to ZL3XDJ

[@hartengel7724]

Ham radio is a wonderful hobby... if it wasn't so expensive here in Canada.

[@HamRadioN0CKL]

Ugly balun or choke ran between his verticle and coax feedpoint?

[@watersstanton]

Normally ferriteclamps.

[@haraldlonn898]

Interesting. I've always thought that the polarization over multi hops doesn't matter that much, but now understand a little better what's going on. Still need some more information and proof that it is correct with polarization over multi hops.

[@watersstanton]

Cross polarisation is problem. I was referring to the possible benefit of polarisation in particular locations aligned to magnetic polarity.

[@Pioneer936]

Groundplane is the key ,put a vertical and dipole over salt water which one is better for dx to vk and zl land ?

[@watersstanton]

Anybody want to get wet feet?

[@Pioneer936]

@@watersstanton point is the vertical with a proper ground plane will be better for dx

[@billvargo]

with ground-mounted Radials the ground conductivity is all important. In my situation with a ground conductivity of 4, doping the ground with Magnesium Sulfate (Epson Salt) has positive results and Does not affect the grass. (Strawberry growers use Mag Sulfate on their strawberry plants) I use a Butternut HF-6V with 50 ground radials and 40lbs of Mag sulfate 73, Bill N5ODX

[@watersstanton]

Hi Bill. Thanks for strawberry tip! Next test is to raise the whole vertical above ground

[@luckydubeinrc5165]

are your near and far view clear ? any obstructions, buildings, hills ? in a valley perhaps/ the main factor to me when deciding what to use, i have 3 verticals 40m band, phased, LP North America, 1 dipole at 15m high +_ 48m away from verticals on mast, the dipole win most times (: .... but early mornings the verticals are best, i have had 80m verticals in the past, raised 1m with 16 radials, worked JA and europe , VK ,every evening many others...but then , the 20m high 80m dipole worked them just as well ! i did note that towards South America the verticals were better, but not always. my take on this is ... if you have a clean far field view with maybe even a - 10 or negative 15 degree ground slope you can put up whatever and it just works, not easy to run 160m to 40m from my location, i am surrounded by mountains 138m high, then 20km away i have 890m high mountains to my north facing EU... do which is better >? Dipole has won 9/10 times due to my location and one other hot topic.... GET AN AMPILIFIER... IT DOES HELP THE tx. as you all know we can hear most stations with a piece of wet string, but cant reach them with that same string. so i live next to the ocean , saltwater marsh and all, have a bit of space as well, tinkered all my ham radio life with antennas even wrote an antenna book in 2013... The golden antenna for me is a dipole. "Get the wire up higher or put more fire in the wire" kf15mw grid, zs2cx

[@watersstanton]

Thanks for sharing. I am actually well sited on a rifge with sloping ground in three directions.

[@wshanney]

The vertical will be better when you are near the magnetic dip in either hemisphere. Interesting video...W6QR

[@watersstanton]

OK Bill will correct that.

[@williamkizer3445]

Dipole by land vertical by sea

[@rsutherland76]

The assertion that the Earth's magnetic field is horizontally polarized in the northern hemisphere and vertically polarized in the southern hemisphere is not accurate. Both hemispheres experience a mix of field orientations depending on the latitude.

[@watersstanton]

Yes, you are correct. I should have explained that Brian appears to be in a dip which is vertically polarised. Similar dips occur both north and south.

[@chepito1964]

Hi…. Very interesting theory… greetings from Perú… OA4BUO… I Hope to meet you in the radio.