Dipole vs Vertical - Elmers Forum at eHam.net

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eHam.net Forum : Elmers : Dipole vs Vertical

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Dipole vs Vertical	Reply
by KA9VAA on July 22, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
I have been using a home made fan dipole (80 thru 17 meters) it works quite well, 1.5 swr on all bands at freqs I use. My question is, is worth my time to put up a vertical? I would like to hear more dx, the dipole is only 35 feet up and flat topped, that's as high as I can go. I have a 4el yagi for 10 meters. Should I try a vertical? A friend offered a R7 for 50.00. Thank you for your opinions.

RE: Dipole vs Vertical	Reply
by K2WH on July 22, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
For top efficiency, I recommend a mono-bander vertical. A mono-bander is a vertical sized for the band you wish to work. For instance, I put up a 70' vertical for 80 meters made out of telescoping aluminum tubing. Started at 2" diameter at the bottom and tapered to 1/2" at the top. Placed 50 radials on the ground and was able to work the world mostly effortlessly. Even able to work Europe on a good night with 2 watts SSB! Was is nice about the mono-bander using telescoping tubing, it is just a matter of loosening the tubing sections to make the antenna shorter for other bands. The radials need not be changed. K2WH

RE: Dipole vs Vertical	Reply
by AB3BK on July 22, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
I think you will be pleased with the R7 for DX. It will work much better than your dipole. Just keep the dipole up so you can switch easily to work closer in. Dave

RE: Dipole vs Vertical	Reply
by N6AJR on July 22, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
I do like the fan dipole But also have a hustler 5 band vert ground mounted, and it does pretty well, I use both depending on the dx, which ever is louder, I also have a small beam, so I use the vert to find them then if they can't here me I use the wire , then the beam, then the amp... its all good

RE: Dipole vs Vertical	Reply
by K0ZN on July 23, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
Hi, You will find the vertical clearly better for DX on 30 and 40 Meters. At 35 ft., the major radiation lobe of your dipole is very high on lower bands and there is minimal radiation energy at low angles on the lower bands, consequently, in most cases the vertical, which has strong radiation a low angles will out perform. Being able to quickly switch between the two antennas can be an asset, as there are times the horizontal antenna may be a quieter receiving antenna. Unless your QTH is in a deep valley, it is likey you will find the time and effort to put up the vertical is worth it. 73, K0ZN

RE: Dipole vs Vertical	Reply
by K5LXP on July 23, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
It's definitely worth your time, and I wouldn't stop there. I have slopers, dipoles, beams, loops and verticals. Think of multiple antennas as a "toolbox" from which you can select the best tool for the job. Put up as many antennas as you can get away with and experiment to see which one works better for different conditions. You never really know how good or bad an antenna is until you have a second (or third, or fourth) to compare it to. Sometimes I find one antenna picks up something that other antennas won't even hear, but with a different signal the results are just the opposite. Having the ability to choose between different antennas on the same band is a definite advantage. Mark K5LXP Albuquerque, NM

RE: Dipole vs Vertical	Reply
by N4GI on July 23, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
>>>in most cases the vertical, which has strong radiation a low angles will out perform.<<< Only if you are on the beach, over salt water. More antennas are always better, however one must be realistic. I.E.: I once had a pair of phased top loaded verticals on 80. That array was always down compared to a full size V at 55'. Reason? My yard is dry and sandy, very poor ground, lots of losses. I recommend ON4UN's "Low band DXing" to get the whole scoop. 73, N4GI

RE: Dipole vs Vertical	Reply
by KC8VWM on July 23, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
I'm with N6AJR on this one. Two antennas are always better than one. I have installed an end fed "Zepp" 160 - 6 meter longwire and my second antenna is constructed as a 20-10 meter vertical antenna. My rationale here is that there are probobly more people using vertical antennas for the higher HF bands and since the lower bands require larger antenna lengths, more people are probobly using horizontally polorized antennas on the lower HF bands. Although I can't speak for everyone in every situation, I feel that in order for a vertical HF antenna to be an effective radiator on the lower bands, it needs to be erected at a height above the ground at a height than most people can accomodate in a practical manner. I am able to choose from either vertical or horizontal modes anywhere from 6 - 20 meters. 40- 80- and 160m are dedicated to a horizontally polorized antenna, which in my opinion works better than a "compromized" vertical antenna installed at a lower height above the ground on these bands anyways. Good Luck 73 Charles - KC8VWM

RE: Dipole vs Vertical	Reply
by W9DZ on July 23, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
As mentioned in earlier posts, the vertical will have a lower angle of radiation than your low horizontal antenna and should work better for DX. As far as the different bands and choice of polarization goes, it makes no difference. Once your signal takes a bounce off of the ionosphere it may be vertical, horizontal or anything in between. Polarization does make a difference on VHF/UHF over line of sight distances.

RE: Dipole vs Vertical	Reply
by N4GI on July 23, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
>>>the vertical will have a lower angle of radiation than your low horizontal antenna and should work better for DX.<<< *But it probably won't, unless you are on the beach, in the salt water..... N4GI

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