Beam heading

[airplane1]

Hi,

I was going to mount my bean heading for europe and thought I could set it east but after searching on the the heading for europe from PA it seems to be more north at some where in the 50 degree bearing. That looks as though it cant be right in my mind.

Is this correct?

Thanks,
Roger

 

[EDUK8TR]

Yeppers! Its due to the curvature of the globe. We are so used to looking at some form of projection type map that takes a round shape and puts it on a flat surface that we forget that the projection can throw our perspective off. If you were to take a globe and plot the direction you would see the deviation.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

EDUK8TR is right. Do not think in terms of two dimensions like a map. this is where three dimensional geometry comes into play.Due east from your location puts you looking at west Africa and down thru central Africa. Europe is about 50 degrees from Pa. When in doubt check Google Earth and use the ruler function. it will show the distance and proper heading.

 

[Robb]

I use Google Earth: its free. There is a function in it that allows you to draw a straight line between any two points on the globe. Set your station as the starting point and then set the other end point wherever you need it. It will give you the azimuth heading. It is what I use with my beam.

 

[EDUK8TR]

I use Google Earth: its free. There is a function in it that allows you to draw a straight line between any two points on the globe. Set your station as the starting point and then set the other end point wherever you need it. It will give you the azimuth heading. It is what I use with my beam.

Another quick way to make the determination is to listen for the station's call. Be logged in to QRZ. Search the call, click on the details tab and look at the bearing which will be from your location if QRZ has your location correct. The pattern on a beam is such that you don't have to be dead on for HF to focus your signal to the station you are attempting to contact.

Added to this, is there are times when "Long Path" will actually be better if the ConDX are right. I have made many contacts Long Path that I heard and was heard better by rotating my beam 180 degrees from the indicated bearing.

Hope this helps!

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

After a while you won't need anything to help in pointing the beam anyway. You will learn what is where over time and a surprisingly short time it will be. I haven't really needed anything in years and years as I am pretty savvy when it comes to world geography except for a few odd ball rarely heard places and know off my head the general heading to anywhere on the planet certainly well within the beamwidth of my antennas anyway. A typical yagi has a beamwidth of 60 degrees or more to the half power point which means you can be 30 degrees off and still only be 1/2 an S-unit down from maximum signal. The big thing is learning that due east is not truly east on long paths. The same applies to all directions except due north and due south.

 

[airplane1]

Thanks for all the good info, I learn so many good things on this forum. It is funny how some things are not what they seem though and this heading stuf is one of them lol.

AP

 

[Beetle]

Eventually you run up against the question: If I'm at the North Pole and want to talk to the South Pole, which direction do I point my beam?

Correct answer is, of course, South.

From the North Pole, EVERYthing's "south".

 

[NeoHam]

These are the Great Circles that airplanes fly too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_circle

http://www.aircalculator.com/

 

[mackmobile43]

Eventually you run up against the question: If I'm at the North Pole and want to talk to the South Pole, which direction do I point my beam?

Correct answer is, of course, South.

From the North Pole, EVERYthing's "south".

Even the East side of the North Pole?

 

[avistar23]

let me show u my high tech way of pointing my beam

+

 

[IMD262]

Make your own great circle map:

AZ_PROJ at WM7D: Azimuthal Equidistant (Great Circle) Projection Map Server (Postscript) by NA3T and NV3Z

 

[PA629]

Hi,

I was going to mount my bean heading for europe and thought I could set it east but after searching on the the heading for europe from PA it seems to be more north at some where in the 50 degree bearing. That looks as though it cant be right in my mind.

Is this correct?

Thanks,
Roger

45 degrees, give or take, has always worked for me in the nw corner of PA.

 

[airplane1]

Well I do not know if I got it right now that I go the beam up. It is pointed in the best I can tell with my compass is between 45 and 50 degrees. The swr dropped from 1.3 when it was close to the ground to 1.1 through most all the 10 meter band which surprised me.

Any way, I know the beam is set up good but I hear nothing in that direction. When I hear the states and mexico, PR, FL ans such on the imax and switch over to the beam the signals drop very much which is what I want but I do not think any europe is in there on 10 right now.

I will keep monoitoring that direction for now.

AP

 

[wavrider]

When the band opens you will know it, that yagi will be great and you will have a lot of fun making contacts with it.