Dipole Direction

[MrKenmore]

Hi everyone. I am new to the forum and excited to be a part of DXing. I just passed my general and technician test but right now I am playing around with a cobra 2000 gtl on 38 LSB. I will be putting up a dipole antenna cut to this frequency. I would like to know how to figure out the best direction to orientate it. Is there a program or website where it give degree headings based on your location depending on where you would like to orientate it? I am on Long Island NY. Any suggestions would be great. I am currently using an Antron A99. That's very much.


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[HomerBB]

If you are going to run the antenna above 1/2 wavelength height where it will truly begin to have significant directionality then it will be best to point the two ends of the dipole 90 degrees away from where you want to talk.
For instance, if you want to talk west toward the mainland and east toward Europe it would be good to have the two ends of the dipole pointed more or less north and south.
If you are mounting lower than 1/2 wavelength high, it will not be so critical which way you orient it.
Until you get the dipole a good bit higher than that, wavelength or more, exact orientation will not be so critical.
This applies to horizontally mounted dipoles, and represents a rule of thumb.

This applies only as long as someone with bigger words in their answer doesn't convince you to believe otherwise.

 

[wavrider]

Dipole Antenna Radiation Patterns by WB4YJT

Understand your antenna system and making contacts are easy.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[W5LZ]

Another part of all this is that while both posts so far have been accurate, they are only accurate in the circumstances prevailing at the time (especially with any modeling program). That means that certain heights related to wave length for the frequency in question are 'better' than others. BUT, it still depends on how/where the antenna is located in each specific instance. You gotta try it... see how it does, then change it to see which way to go in each particular case to make it 'better', you know?
A pretty good rule of thumb is shoot for at least 1/5 wave length above ground. Then you get to figure out what's going to be ->practical<- for you. I'd love to have an 80 meter antenna at 60+ feet, but it's not gonna happen where I live...
- 'Doc

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Hi everyone. I am new to the forum and excited to be a part of DXing. I just passed my general and technician test but right now I am playing around with a cobra 2000 gtl on 38 LSB. I will be putting up a dipole antenna cut to this frequency. I would like to know how to figure out the best direction to orientate it. Is there a program or website where it give degree headings based on your location depending on where you would like to orientate it? I am on Long Island NY. Any suggestions would be great. I am currently using an Antron A99. That's very much.


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Since you passed your general test it's time to get on the ham bands. You will see a HUGE difference in ability to DX than you will ever see on CB channel 38. 20m is a killer for DXing.

As for orientation of a dipole, unless you get it up a full wavelength (about 35 feet on CB) it won't be very directional anyway so don't worry too much.

 

[w9cll]

Since you passed your general test it's time to get on the ham bands. You will see a HUGE difference in ability to DX than you will ever see on CB channel 38. 20m is a killer for DXing.

Got that right..

 

[M0GVZ]

I am on Long Island NY. Any suggestions would be great.

Get yourself a proper HF rig and get on the amateur bands. Being able to get to Europe on 10/15/20m is a daily occurrence at this time of year. 20m to Europe is a daily occurrence all year round. The UK from the USA is effectively "local".

10m band is wide open to the USA around 13:00 UTC closing here around 17:00 UTC when the sun goes down which I believe is around 8am to noon or so your local time.

 

[MrKenmore]

Thanks so much for all the responses! The horizontal plan for mounting that I cam up with was to install two eye hooks with pulleys between two trees (trees are about 40 feet apart). Dacron rope would be strung between the two. One end would have a weight so the trees could move without stressing the line. There would be enough slack so you could lower the rope and modify or replace the antenna which could be secured to the rope.

I will keep everyone posted. Thanks again for all the tips! Great link wavrider.

 

[wavrider]

Fan Dipole,

Multiband dipole

Ggoogle any of them and see what you think.

Keep in mind you will need to have the antenna in an inverted V configuration for best impedance match.

Some ops say a true horizontal antenna works best, others say the inverted V works best.

I tried them both, they both work well.

 

[W5LZ]

Sounds like it should work. How high can you suspend your antenna in those two trees, and are they more or less N-S or E-W?
That 40 feet apart thingy means you will be able to hang a 20 meter dipole antenna and higher in frequency. That should certainly get you 'hooked'...
- 'Doc