Repeatable, Reliable HF Contacts Without A Beam

[W9GB]

I'd like to be able to communicate via HF with a family member in Connecticut from California, but a huge tower or beam is not in the cards.  Currently I have a 63ft dipole at 20-30ft high, and run barefoot with a manual tuner.  This setup has worked fine for random QSO's.  However, I don't ever receive signals from New England.

Glenn --

W1AW broadcasts every business afternoon and evening on an hourly schedule.  
http://www.arrl.org/w1aw-operating-schedule

IF you can not hear ARRL's W1AW, you will NEVER hear your relative.

USE the W1AW broadcasts as your BEACON, to improve your station's antenna system.

[ZL1BBW]

I was in the same position and many years had a daily sked from the UK to my father in ZL1.  At one house I had a 2 ele delta loop on top of tower for 20M (massive thing) and had very few problems.

Then we moved to a new town and only had to make do with a lowish wire antenna, no more than 40 feet up.

A good fistful of power will help, I certainly ran the legal limit for the UK, also see if you can get a friendly big signal to stand bi and give you a hand, sometimes a gentle nudge to keep the freq clear can help considerably.

Its all down to timing, we used 20M all the time day in and day out and for many many years only the odd day or two would go past with nil heard.  We used to have a 30 min slot morning time uk and a set freq and always nearly made it.

If you are stuck for an antenna, try a 300 ohm twin feeder vertical slim jim they can work really well.

[K4RVN]

Glenn,
If you can't hear CT, then an amp won't help. You need an antenna that allows you to hear CT.
Try what your neighbor suggested.
The time of day or night that you want to hear CT would determine the band.
I hear 6 stations well on 20, 17, 15, and 40 meters, but not at the same time periods from the East coast in Georgia. I hear quite a few West coast stations on 20 meters at night working the N.E. I cannot hear the east coast stations part of the conversation usually. Same is true on 17 meters.
I would suggest a dipole broadside to CT. on a band that you may expect to be open during your time frame. If that does not work try a long range wire antenna such as a half square on 20 meters or 17 meters and see if you can hear the NE. states. A half square is in effect a wire antennta with horizontal and vertical components taking up no more room than a dipole horizontally. It requires no radials and is a pair of phased verticals. I use one here for longer range communications such as DX on 40 meters. It requires no tuner as the end fed impedence is about 50 ohms. It needs to be about 35 ft above grade for 40 meters, but higher is better. Like someone said you may have to have an amp for the station in CT. to hear you. First order for you, however, is to be able to hear CT.
AS for my efforts to hear better, I am in the process of installing a beverage antenna for
receiving better.  A lot of stations hear me better than I hear them as I do use a beam and an amp 99% of my contacts.

Frank