arkieguide
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To search for England - what angle should my 3 element beam be - above the plain are level position? I am in central Arkansas. Anyone help ?
Thanks
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skip antenna angle.
- Thread starter arkieguide
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If you're talking about polarisation,it's better to have the antenna on the horizontal side,less noise.
prcguy
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Sounds like he's asking if the beam antenna should be pointed up a little or right at the horizon. The takeoff angle from anywhere in the US to England would be a fairly low angle and probably less than 10 degrees above the horizon is my guess without looking it up.
If you look at the advertised beam patterns that show the main lobe or hot spot of the beam is exactly in line with the boom, well that's when measured in free space somewhere between the earth and moon with nothing around it. When you get the antenna close to the ground the hot spot points up and there is not much you can do about it except make sure the antenna is a half wavelength above ground or multiples of 1/2 wavelength.
At some random height like 22ft or 39ft your beam antenna will point up and the hot spot will probably be between 10 and 30 degrees off the horizon and too high for anything from skip to local. If you mount it 1/2 wavelength high or about 17ft 4in for CB, it will bring the hot spot down some but it will still be at least 10deg off the horizon because its the first and lowest of the hot spots you can use. When you get maybe 10 half wavelengths off the ground or about 173ft, you will get close to the free space pattern where the hot spot is pretty much in line with the boom and aiming at the horizon.
If you have someone local monitor your signal while you move your antenna height they will see your signal get bigger and smaller and sometimes up to an S unit when you go from a bad spot to a good spot in height and higher can make it a little worse until you reach another sweet spot.
So the best you can do for talking to England from Ark or locals is get the beam at 17 1/2ft high or 35ft or 52.5 or 70ft or some other multiple of 1/2 wavelength and you will be just fine.
If you look at the advertised beam patterns that show the main lobe or hot spot of the beam is exactly in line with the boom, well that's when measured in free space somewhere between the earth and moon with nothing around it. When you get the antenna close to the ground the hot spot points up and there is not much you can do about it except make sure the antenna is a half wavelength above ground or multiples of 1/2 wavelength.
At some random height like 22ft or 39ft your beam antenna will point up and the hot spot will probably be between 10 and 30 degrees off the horizon and too high for anything from skip to local. If you mount it 1/2 wavelength high or about 17ft 4in for CB, it will bring the hot spot down some but it will still be at least 10deg off the horizon because its the first and lowest of the hot spots you can use. When you get maybe 10 half wavelengths off the ground or about 173ft, you will get close to the free space pattern where the hot spot is pretty much in line with the boom and aiming at the horizon.
If you have someone local monitor your signal while you move your antenna height they will see your signal get bigger and smaller and sometimes up to an S unit when you go from a bad spot to a good spot in height and higher can make it a little worse until you reach another sweet spot.
So the best you can do for talking to England from Ark or locals is get the beam at 17 1/2ft high or 35ft or 52.5 or 70ft or some other multiple of 1/2 wavelength and you will be just fine.
arkieguide
Member
antenna is at 40' to the bottom, and the antenna is flat/horizontal,I was asking the angle of attack are degrees from horizontal. I was more inclined to think about 5 degrees from flat/horizontal. Maybe get me into.the higher skip range. Thanks PRCGUY.
prcguy
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Your horizontal beam will point upward more than 5 degrees at all heights unless you get it over 100ft up and land on a multiple of a half wavelength. Even if you point the beam down at the ground, the ground will still push the antenna pattern upward at a good 10 degrees or more. There is nothing you can do about it unless you get it waaaay up there.
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