Thanks for the post, Shockwave, and for fabbing this mod to the .75 monopole.
My friend Serge and I will be resurrecting and modding an old 'Salute' with Bob85's and your helpful info, so perhaps you'll be seeing another group of believers from our area, depending on how well it performs in our test to be conducted in a week or seven...
We will be comparing:
A Shockwave-style .82 modded Salute
An Hy-gain Penetrator Super CLR 500
A Sigma II 5/8 (original Avanti AV-170)
An A1 Antennas Interceptor I-10K
A Solarcon Imax 2000
An AstroPlane (original Avanti, but with 1/4 wl top section mod)
A Ringo 1/2 wave (original A/S)
- all on a 36' mast in the foothills nearby at 1,500' ASL.
We should have ground-wave, analog meter, signal reports from as close as 5 miles and as distant as 100+miles.
While I appreciate tests done which place all the tops at the same level above ground, I consider that a somewhat fraudulent way of comparing since the height of mast typically used upon which one places their antenna of choice is the highest one can attain.
I believe a real-world test comes from using the same 'everything else' instead of providing the shorter designs with the handicap of equalized elevation.
I doubt my competitive neighbor will lower his Sigma so the top of my AstroPlane is just as high...
For the few who live on a hill or ridge I can see how that aspect of each design doesn't come into play as much, but I consider that one of the exceptions, not the norm.
I'll post the results when we get finished rebuilding and modding the Salute and the test is completed.
