--- In FT817@y..., don@h... wrote:
Well - OF COURSE A DIPOLE WORKS BETTER - it is a balanced antenna
that doesn't require a counterpoise (or groundplane - call it what
you like) and it isn't shortened with loading coils. That is ONE of
the reason that all (honest) antenna performance is pretty much
referenced to a dipole
That being said - I have both antennas, as well as the Maldols. The
ATX was the fussiest to get to resonate, but we have managed that.
I
have NEVER had a problem getting the MP1 to tune, but discarded
those
radials in favor of 4 of 17' 14 guage flexweave antenna wire
(slightly longer than a 1/4 wave on 20). I have worked JA's on 40
CW
on the Maldols. Alaska on 20 SSB with the ATX. Ohio from
Manzanillo,
Mexico on PSK31, etc, etc, etc.
BUT NO ANTENNA is going to make up for propogation - especially
with
a 5 watt radio. NO ANTENNA is going to tune the same when the
environment surrounding it changes. NO ANTENNA that is physically
shortened with small diameter loading coils, especially one at the
base of the whip, is going to perform like a full size dipole, even
if the dipole is olnl a few feet off the ground. During the mid
70's,
[stuff deleted}
Hi Don,
Exactly man. It seems that many people expect a short antenna to make
miracles, but the truth is that no small antenna is going to
outperform or even perform as good as the dipole. It just can`t. We
seem to forget that any short antenna is a compromise antenna. Now if
it costs a lot, then one could go ahead and brew his/her own. One
pays the constructor for the clever design, or rugged and effective
coil. If I could build or had the time to build the nice coil and all
the rest of the stuff that comes along with the MP-1, then I would
have done it myself.
Same goes with the ATX and any other commercial whip. I have both the
ATX and MP-1 and I must say that the ATX while being the most
convenient, it is the least effective. The MP-1 is a bit more clumsy
to use (although with the latest clamp that Vern made for the FT-817,
it holds much better on the side of the radio) but it is definatelly
more effective and easier to tune. I have used them both on the
mountains and these are my conclusions.
Then again it also depends on whether you want to walk and talk or
whether you want to be stationary portable or use your FT-817 as a
base station.
Now if one does not want to fork out the money and have even better
performance than these 2 whips, there is always the "W3FF 5 band
portable dipole" at and build the dipole for
$30 or so. This is much better than the MP-1 or the ATX even if it is
only 5 meters from tip to tip, but of course less convenient than
both the ATX and MP-1, because it is bigger and heavier.
Finally one could hang up a full size wire dipole but then walking
and talking is out of the question.
I think it all depends on what you want to do with your FT-817.
I personally enjoy all kinds of operations, therefore I use the most
suitable antenna for the occasion. If I walk down the promenade with
a lot of people around, then the ATX is employed usually. If I am in
a remote area, near the sea or elsewere, I use the MP-1 and when I am
on the mountain, far away from the crowds, I use the W3FF dipole.
That is my opinion.
73 de Demetre SV1UY
