@222DBFL
I know someone who uses a IMAX2K clamped to work ladders on his van roof. He does very well. He is 140 miles away from me on the west side of the south UK and an equally enthusiastic hill topper (Call sign 26CT1685 Kevin, a good chap)
His IMAX2 works very well indeed as the van seems to work as a very effective ground plane for this type of antenna. Which is exactly what I mean about the antenna system in the last post. It does not by any means needs to be a Gain master though it has proven itself the best performer in my modus operandi : ) i.e. on poles up a hill. My guess is a Gain master on a van roof would be an ill performer given it is a balanced dipole design.
As mentioned great conditions mean a 1/4 wave whip on a mag mount can and will do well, multiple hops with reduced F2 layer attenuation (i.e. very strong ionospheric charges) and greater expanses of charge in terms of area mean higher angle or a lower intensity of field strength at lower angles can and will still manage F2/Sporadic E DX.
We have all experienced this in practice with surprise DX on next to no power and unremarkable or "cloudwarmer" antennas.
On forums I often see "worked the world" when using a diminutive set ups... to quote someone on air... "I spoke to Australia from the supermarket car park using a 4 foot whip using radio power"
When people say work the world I think distances would be helpful, other wise it can get a little vague. (I am guilty of this myself, I guess we just don't always provide exact details of every contact on any given day and are mainly just happy with having made the contact and maybe other reasons in the case of the unlicensed)
If we were to really qualify the "worked the world" contacts.. it would involve a report along the following lines:
1) RX antenna used
2) Estimated DX conditions on scale of 1-10
3) Power used
4) Local RX noise floor S reading.
Maybe something along the lines if the SWL SINPO measure. Forgive me if there is already some kind structured way of reporting that I am not aware of.
I wish this was qualified whenever I see it in terms of what kind of skip conditions were prevalent so we can gauge what kind of setups might be appropriate under different conditions.
It can be misleading to expect to speak 10,000 miles with a mag mount and radio power each time you go out. Even on the downward slope of the current 11 year cycle on some days "working the world" on a mag mount and 20 watts as in 10,000 miles + may well be possible.
On other days working the world will only be happening 4 element beam to 4 element beam on 15M towers and a 500 Watts forward ERP.
In no way am I making criticism 222DBFL but also think we might create an expectation that is not achievable on many days. I think we should always aim for the best we can achieve.
Given I work omni only by principle I
had to ensure the best performance setup I could as part of my interest in the hobby and for my own integrity in talking about my setup and the contacts I am capable of making. I did not want a situation where I thought.... "I wonder if I could have got through to that station if I had
X bit of equipment or set up in
Y manner."
I have found a lot of myths and people without integrity speak on the matter of radio (not so much on this forum) despite these principles having good understanding in science and that is immensely confusing for many. I neither want to be an expert or an ignoramus. I have enjoyed delving in and finding out fact from fiction in my own way with great help from others who have greater technical knowledge than myself.
I hasten to add that as time moves on it is possible to filter your intake of information and get a grip of who knows what they are talking about technically and extend that into unknown areas with interesting ideas and theories. In the main I now know who talks sense online and that has accelerated my knowledge and understand along with the ARRL antenna book massively even in the last 4 months.
Not everyone wants or needs to do that, that is fine but it does means you have to be discerning about the information that you choose to take on board, when the internet is the main source. As long as it is fun seeking, questioning, discussing and testing and ultimately operating, I find that rewarding and enjoyable.
I can only be an expert on my own setup and exact operating conditions.
Sharing that as we all do, all feeds into helping each other improve and enhance our understanding an radio operations.
It might sound a bit serious and I think you can be serious about a hobby because that helps you get more out of it. Not everyone wants to take it to that level and just wants a chat to the guys 20 miles way and are happy with that.
I have found this forum the best forum on the internet for discussion of radio.
There may be a bit of a less local feel as it is frequented by people both sides of the Atlantic and beyond but that should suit us DX'ers just fine : ) The forum is well named.
P.S. As far as you using an Antron 99 on 20 feet pole it will do as well as the conditions will allow for any 1/2 wave vertical antenna cause they are all essentially the same : ) I reckon you would be hard pressed to find 0.2 dB between them in any given setup in terms of performance alone. They are all a 18 feet bit of wire with a tapped coil stuck in the air, nothing more nothing less. On that basis a 1/2 wave Venom Silver Rod is the cheapest point of entry in the U.K. at least. I can regularly, in good conditions speak 6,000 miles with 150W PEP using one 4 feet from the ground, to another vertical antenna. (South Africa being a clear recent example giving a S9/R5 report)
Always learning and crucially trying to keep it fun and interesting.
