David, Diversity is an interesting feature. I found even a mostly horizontal long wire to the sub Rx was an asset with diversity. With the two HI-Z systems & dual Rx K3s, I have three antennas to work with for diversity; Main, tri & circle 8.
I know you mentioned using flags, if you by chance go the HI-Z (active Rx antenna) route, they are about 23' high and I spray painted mine black, just to keep people on the hiking trail next to me, oblivious to my antennas. In the woods they are essentially invisible. Usually it is the 3 & 8 I am using and when I use them, I first do not use diversity; I adjust the 8 which is the Rx ant switched in as main Rx, to find the strongest desired signal. I then switch out the Rx just to see if it is the rare time the sloper hears best. 99% of the time I go back to the 8. Then I turn on diversity and adjust the 3 for the best perceived signal in diversity. All of my antennas are in a poor location, many tall trees around them and the Tx antennas are too close to all the RX antennas, so the expected direction is unreliable and I have to hunt for the best signal each time. There is an optional encoder available by HI-Z which has no detent as a switch does, and the display does show direction, but I really only listen for the best peak or the best null, whatever I'm looking for. Not having to keep reversing direction to find the best signal is a wonderful thing. Whatever you use, you'll have fun. 73, Gary KA1J > Kevin > This might help on a small lot: I am very fortunate to have a dual rx > K3S and I am planning to use 2 flags at right-angles in the corner of > the field I've been loaned. Being in the bushes and at modest height > they cannot be seen and with relays to change phase of each I hope to > get 4 quadrants in diversity reception. I chose the flag as > deliberately lower performance than some others to avoid a hole around > 45 degrees, ie to complement diversity and they have a good f/b > according to lists I've seen. Everything is a compromise. I suppose > a K9AY could be used in diversity with suitable connections. David > G3UNA/G6CP > > > On 30 July 2019 at 19:01 [email protected] wrote: > > > > > > On my small lot (130 ft by 50 ft, but it does have a house on it, hi > > hi) about the only half decent and flexible RX antenna I can manage > > is a K9AY. And it definitely helps most of the time, useful on 30 > > (once in a while), 40 (often), 80 (almost always) and 160 meters > > (almost always). But it's not up to those guys with bevs and circle > > arrays, etc. I really would like to hear better on 160m, but scheme > > as I might I can't come up with a RX antenna that would work better > > on my property. Mine has no special provision for being away from > > other antennas, I plunked it where it had to be to fit. > > > > Overall, I am glad I have it, it's certainly a compromise but a > > decent one. > > > > 73, Kevin K3OX > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: terry burge <[email protected]> > > To: terry burge <[email protected]>, [email protected] > > Sent: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 03:34:03 -0400 (EDT) > > Subject: Re: Topband: Which RX antenna is better? > > > > Hi again folks, > > > > > > Got some great advice from several others. 'Shared Apex'; KD9SV > > bi-directional beverage recommended; K9AY (guess I need to get busy > > and finish mine); Hi-Z 8 along with Waller-Flag at 95' head and > > shoulders above others (but expensive and tough to build); both K9AY > > and Beverages not very effected by TX ants/other objects around them > > so much. No real recommendations for DHDL, EWE, Flag/Pennant, etc. > > Being that my property is only one and a half acres for all but the > > bi-directional KD9SV beverage it sounds like my first step is to get > > the K9AY going and the beverage if I can. That does mean some > > 'interesting' hill climbing exercise and hopefully my neighbor won't > > be target practicing while I'm on his hillside. Don't we hams do > > some strange things just to be able to hear radio signals? > > > > > > Anyway, that's what I got so far. I do wonder which is better > > between the 'shared apex loop(s)' and maybe a 4 or 8 vertical RX > > array from DXE. Why hasn't any hams wrote about what is involved in > > making a high impedance receive vertical work? Of course that > > requires Doppler shifts I guess like I used in the USASA for > > direction finding way back when (flare 7/9 style). Who would have > > thought I'd be looking at using that technology so many years later? > > > > > > Terry > > > > KI7M > > > > > On July 28, 2019 at 9:27 PM terry burge <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi folks, > > > > > > I have four kits purchased on ebay for receive antennas as well > > > as a bi-directional beverage from KD9SV. Looking on my county > > > plot map it looks like I can run about a 412' beverage using my > > > neighbors ground and mine. Got a good neighbor you could say who > > > just doesn't want a BOG to trip on but a beverage not too low to > > > walk into is Ok. My ebay provided kits are DHDL, EWE and > > > Penant/flag/diamond from a low cost Canada source. But I'm faced > > > with the problem of fences, power lines, roads and my TX > > > antennas on my 1 1/2 acre plot. If one of those antennas could > > > handle being near the fences,etc or TX antennas I'd like to hear > > > about it. I've already got a K9AY in the works and that one is > > > near my 40 meter 4-square. Running the beverage is going to be > > > near or even under my K8UR style 80 meter 4-square made with 1/2 > > > WL slopers. I've thought some about converting the 80 meter > > > 4-square to using 3":irrigation tubing extended with some 3" > > > irrigation tubing and a coil at the elevated base but > > I'm just not sure if it would be an improvement. It would be near > > 50' verticals if I could do it. Not sure if I would lose too much > > gain. > > > > > > > > > Any suggestions other than 'give up'? I've always had a time > > > hearing the DX especially on 160 meters. > > > > > > Terry > > > > > > KI7M > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________ > > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > > Reflector _________________ Searchable Archives: > > http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector > _________________ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector > _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
