Yup, wherever Phil was, Phil got away with it. Phil is the exception that proves the rule.
Nobody near where I lived in lower New York state would get away with it (rocks for ground). I didn't get away with it in the Virginia suburbs of DC. And that was good growing dirt, too -- best garden plot anywhere we've lived. You can get away with it big time at the edge of salt water. Trick is to either know all the issues, how they apply to where you are, and how to deal with them, OR get lucky. Lottery anyone? What I really don't understand, from a reflector populated with those who want 1 Hertz accuracy all the time on their K3's and fuss if they don't get it, who want really complex options to deal with subtle efficiencies in a contest and write brain-damage macros to orchestrate them, who have arguments over the difference between 400 and 500 watts, who argue that 0.3 dB makes a difference in a contest, etc, etc..... ....what I really don't understand, from THIS crowd, is why antenna issues that result in +/- 8 dB swings in the radiation outcome are heartily dissed as being optional. Somebody explain that to me. If we were even one tenth as hard on our antenna stuff as we are on the K3, we wouldn't be having this discussion. I have heard from far more discouraged attempts on 160m (killed by ground issues) than even my own cynical "most 160m antenna installations are sh*t" assessment of 160 antennary would predict. Even at a purely selfish level, when the 160 tests roll around, I would LOVE to have all those discouraged tried-to-get-on-160 hams on the band with grand signals to keep things lively for the whole contest and run up all our scores. Let's quit being such apologists for the status quo on verticals and radial systems. 73, and may you put out a killer signal on 160 and stomp my b*tt in a pileup. (Then you can say you beat K2AV at his own game. Except it will be me, sitting in front of my K3, grinning ear-to-ear, thinking, "now THAT's a signal".) Guy. On Wed, Mar 23, 2011 at 12:59 PM, Vic K2VCO <v...@rakefet.com> wrote: > Phil, QRZ tells me that you live in Richardson TX, north of Dallas. > > You have some of the best ground conductivity in the nation! Don't try this > in most other > places. > > On 3/23/2011 9:25 AM, Phil & Debbie Salas wrote: > > "If you CAN'T do radials right, DON'T do grounded verticals. As simple > as that." > > > > I disagree. Licensed in 1964 at 15, I operated with a 4BTV through high > school and > > college with just a ground rod. I didn't know any better, but had lots > of fun - even > > with a Knightkit T60 transmitter. Was it efficient? Nope. But I sure > enjoyed the > > hobby during that time. Of course, I later learned that I could have had > even MORE fun > > if I'd had radials. > > > > Phil - AD5X > > -- > Vic, K2VCO > Fresno CA > http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/ > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
