Jim,

 

In past years I've used a couple of "mini-Beverages" (500 & 700 ft.) in the ravine behind our house. The one oriented at 310 degrees was especially good for MW from Japan and the Koreas. I also have a nice recording of 1475 RTM Malaysia made with that antenna, every bit as good reception as when I've heard Malaysia from the WA coast such as at Grayland. I hadn't considered before that the rocky terrain may have contributed to the success of these antennas behind the property.

 

Alas, the winter storms brought down trees and branches on the antennas every year, and I finally gave up on trying to maintain the wires. The terrain is treacherous with slippery slopes, thorny blackberry bushes, and poisonous plants to contend with. Now I'm just using a broadband term. loop (310 bearing) and a Wellbrook ALA100 on an rotating setup. I save my more serious antenna efforts for DXpeditions to the coast.

 

73,

 

Guy Atkins

Puyallup, WA

 

PS-- someone please change the subject of this message thread; even *I'm* getting tired of seeing my name so many times  :^)

 

 

-------Jim, KR1S wrote...------------------------------------------------

Have your ears been ringing? :) These are interesting observations. We
tend to think of loops as ground-independent, but the way signals are
reflected is hard to know. Gary may be getting a boost from signals
bounced off your hill, assuming the phase is correct. On your poorer
soil, a Beverage antenna should work better than down in the fertile
valley. But the way trans-polar signals get skewed, you'd need a few to
be sure you were on the right bearing. Look at the bright side. When sea
levels rise in a few decades, you'll both have oceanside locations!

73,

Jim, KR1S
http://qrp.kearman.com/ <http://qrp.kearman.com/>