center loaded vs. bottom loaded for skip?

['Doc]

There really isn't that much difference between antennas as far as local versus DX ability is concerned. One particular antenna can't really be classified as a DX antenna rather than a shorter distance type thingy. If it works well in general, it'll do well with DX too. That's more a matter of propagation than anything.
There is a difference between a center loaded antenna and a base loaded one. That difference isn't going to be huge if it's tuned correctly to start with. Lot's of variations in that though.
- 'Doc

[drdx]

479 and I talked about this on the air briefly. I do think that there would be a difference, not that any of us have the stuff to graph it, between the takeoff angles. I'm not sure how much difference you'd see as doc mentioned propogation is the real determiner but in my mind an antenna that works really well locally probably has a low angle of radiation. That low angle in skip may be handy on long haul skip, like the central US to Europe or Australia, but at the expense of reduced performance for close skip that would be of the domestic variety. Antenna height also plays into this. On a base there is such a thing as being too high for desired performance and you can certainly be too low. Mobile wise we rarely have a choice other than the few feet difference between a bed mount and the roof for example. Maybe that wilson, being in its location and having a different "ground plane" under it is the difference. Maybe its shortness and load location offer the high angles that allow better domestic skip performance. It would be cool to put them on a switch and see but having them that close could skew the true results on transmit.

Keep in mind too that the location of your 10k is blocking some of your signal. The base of the antenna and some considerable distance up is a real hot spot for rf signal on transmit. Get a bulb out one night and see for yourself. That hotspot is probably from the base to the top of your coil. Sitting still, run some juice into that thing for 30 seconds and feel it. Mine gets hot right where the stinger goes in and testing with a bulb it definitely radiates more from the bottom portion.

-drdx

[420Snowman]

Light up the night!!! I love doing that, that old redneck trick never gets old to me!!!

Snowman