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Re: [IRCA] ALA 100 and related thoughts
Nick,
Depending on the complexity, the antenna system could wind up pushing real
estate limits real fast. Loop antennas have always been good performers and
work in smaller spaces as Colin pointed out. And, if the ALA100 is the
Hummer of broadband loops, I'll get one eventually if I don't get laid off
first :-P
The top 10 antennas I've used (in order from best to not-so-best):
1. Unterminated, elevated Beverage sloping ~15 degrees. (Beats anything else
by far)
2. 1000' Terminated Beverage
3. Beverage-on-ground, unterminated
4. 4' x 4' passive, tuned Box Loop
5. End-fed "Superloop" (perhaps tied with 4th place)
6. Flag antenna
7. 70' sloper
8. Sanserino (actively-tuned) Loop
9. A 6' x 6', unamplified broadband loop
And, last and least...(although good for phasing against another antenna)...
10. A 10', unamplified whip antenna (vertical)
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: irca-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:irca-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Nick Hall-Patch
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 3:09 PM
To: Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America
Subject: Re: [IRCA] ALA 100 and related thoughts
At 17:49 1/28/2009, you wrote:
>I would love to stumble upon/design an antenna setup that would emulate a
>BoG system, that could easily fit in my 50'x60' backyard. Having the
ability
>to control direction and angle of signal pickup would be a plus...hi. (like
>a mini Wullenweber antenna)
Chris,
So would most of us,hi. A lot of bright ideas founder on the complexity of
the implementation compared with the simplicity of having a switchable
selection of Beverage antennas. The ideal is to have an antenna with a
steerable narrow lobe, except when you want a wide lobe to find out what's
out there. But it has to be easy to understand its operation I think.
The problem with a complex system is that by the time it's adjusted properly
(especially if it's frequency sensitive, and you need to readjust for each
channel), the opening can have passed (our morning sunrise enhancements for
example). On the coast it's relatively easy to reject many domestics with
a Flag or similar antenna, because the wide remaining lobe is looking only
at DX, and the null can be easily touched up. But it's not so easy in most
locations with interference from all directions, plus whatever local
electrical noise you end up introducing into a complex system.
>Cogs still turning (squeak, kah-thump), the next thought is a sloper toward
>the pest station phased against an ALA-100, for example. Would that work
>better as a phased combo? (think patterns and signal strengths)
It has a certain degree of simplicity, which is a good thing in my mind.
If you have a rotatable loop then you have some good possibilities. But
there are others on this list with more experience of phasing than I, so you
should probably wait for greater wisdom from them.
best wishes,
nick
*****************************
Nick Hall-Patch
Victoria, BC
Canada
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