Jim " What I am asking is if anyone has any, on-the-air experience and would recommend one antenna system over the other for *most conditions*. In other words, will an antenna that has a less lower elevation pattern generally outperform an antenna that has a narrower beam width, but a higher elevation angle? "
I understand your question now. Yes I have exactly that, a low elevation narrow bean VWF, that works best at 20 degree or lower and a same narrow bean but high elevation angle HWF best at 40 degree. I keep a record of new countries worked with one or another. The high elevation angle outperform the low elevation angle 95% of the time, in special near SS or SR. But the low elevation angle was the only antenna that can hear South Asia direct path due north. 9M2AX , BU2AQ, 4W6 over or near the North Pole. Let me say the same thing in another way. For DX signals coming due North 330 to 30 degree , the vertical low angle outperform the high angle always. It is based on the direction the signal is coming from and the interaction with the dip magnetic field. Like 9M4SLL on Mar 13th 2013 was strong 340 degree only heard with VWF, on Mar 17th the signal was coming SSE and the high angle was better, but copy with both antennas. 95% is a big number however the 5% could be a new country. Like 706T in the first and second night only copy on the vertical low angle, after they move to a new location the high angle RX antenna was better. They are complementary to each other, hard to pick one. 73's JC N4IS -----Original Message----- From: James Wolf [mailto:jbw...@comcast.net] Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2014 1:30 PM To: 'JC'; 'Top Band Contesting' Subject: RE: Topband: Non-resonant receive antennas Thanks JC, I agree that the RDF number is significant when evaluating a receive antenna. I agree that no one antenna system will work all of the time. Consider we have two scenarios: One RX antenna system that consists of two parallel antennas (Broadside) , and the other is the same antenna configured in-line, toward the desired signal (Delayed series fed). What I am asking is if anyone has any, on-the-air experience and would recommend one antenna system over the other for *most conditions*. In other words, will an antenna that has a less lower elevation pattern generally outperform an antenna that has a narrower beam width, but a higher elevation angle? I think in this we need to consider the arrival angle of atmospheric noise in a broadside array vs. atmospheric noise in a series fed array. Since atmospheric noise propagates and the arrival angle will change, which scenario would provide the general overall better performance? Jim - KR9U _____________ Jim RDF is everything ! The RX antenna system is the only way to improve signal to noise ratio. All electronic device is not perfect and introduce noise and deteriorate the signal to noise ratio, including your radio too RDF is one way to measure directivity . You may do not need directivity to improve signal to noise ratio if you are operating from a very quiet location or a desert island on the pacific without man made noise. If you deal with noise at your location you will select the antenna with better directivity. That's adds another component how to cover all directions. Better RDF equals to better signal to noise ratio. That's is true for all bands, try to work 20 meter contest with a vertical with 1 kW and compare with a 5 elements Yagi with 100W. Your TX signal will be the same however for sure you will prefer to receive on the Yagi due its directivity. You won't hear much on the vertical Regards JC N4IS _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband