There isn't too much difference between 50 watts and 100 watts for the QSOs you make. If 50 won't get it done chances are a QSO will only be marginal at 100 watts. Not realy enjoyable. So I recommend you use less power and work the loud ones. 50 watts means half as much battery draw on transmit or doubble the talk time for the same size battery. Receive won't save a thing; but transmit is the real power consumer and is directly proportional to watts out. True QRP at 5 wtts is possible and enjoyable but may not be for everyone. Semi QRP at 10 to 20 or 30 watts may be for you. 35 to 50 watts will work a lot of people. Look at how many love their TenTec Scout (a 50 watt rig).

You will generally do better on CW than on SSB at lower power. The 706 has a nice keyer built in. So hone your CW skills and run lower power to get more time from the same battery.

Another BIG factor you don't even refer to is the antenna. A better antenna wll do a lot more for you than extra power will do. So do the best antenna you possibly can and then scale the power to suit your battery size/weight and the operating time you desire.

73 es gud luck
John  W4FID

I plan a 64 foot square loop in the vertical plane (16 feet on both vertcal legs and 16 ft on both horizontal legs). Will the radiation favor the axis the loop plane is in or perpendicular to the plane?

If the loop is fed at a corner or the center of the lower leg does that matter?

If the loop is rectangular rather than square -- say 12 ft vertical legs and 20 ft horizontal legs does that change the radiation pattern? If so how?

Thanks es 73
John W4fir
w4fid@outdrs.net

I used a 4BTV for many years in three locations and did well with it. Two locations all I did ws drive an 8' galvalinized pipe and mount the antenna base to it. The third location I did the pipe thing plus three radials for 40 meters (33' each) and 3 for 15 meters (22' each I think). All 6 were a few inches below the grass, bare copper (Radio Shack antenna) wire, and terminated with a 6' copper ground rod. I used 50 watts on RTTY and 100 watts on SSB and worked anyone I could hear -- domestic and DX. Don't have the tech knowledge or equipment to model or measure much. Just know that it worked. Also know the radials worked noticably better than the pipe without them. Had it through high and low sunspot cycle periods and had lots of fun for minimal $$ and efort.