As an experiment, I am on 2.5W FT8 on 2m, but using the V2000 vertical antenna instead of the big-wheel horizontal. This will mean weaker reports locally as most stations will be horizontally polarised, but I would expect less difference on more distant stations spotting me. Indeed, I am weaker on the grabber at G0LRD.
So far, at 1032z, I have been spotted by 6 stations on TX with the furthermost G4TRA (185km). 2 stations spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1115z: 5 stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX with the furthermost being G4BNM (222km).
UPDATE 1312z: I am puzzled. Although I have been spotted by 6 stations on QRP TX, I have spotted 16 stations on 2m FT8 RX with the furthermost PE1KWE (307km), which is far more stations than normal. It is almost as if vertical is better!
UPDATE 1358z: 20 stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX with the furthermost GI6ATZ (479km).
UPDATE 1458z: 27 stations spotted on RX and 8 stations have spotted my QRP on TX. 2 QSOs.
UPDATE 1916z: 35 stations spotted on RX. 14 stations have spotted my QRP mostly at "tropo" ranges rather than aircraft scatter or troposcatter.
UPDATE 2222z. QRT now. 38 stations spotted on RX.
It could also mean that a significant number of operators are using vertical antennae, as opposed to conventional wisdom.
ReplyDeleteAlso... isn't the big wheel *circular* polarisation? That would put you 3 dB down over the vertical you are now using -- though there are benefits as well.
As far as I know, the big-wheel is a horizontally polarised (NOT circular) omnidirectional antenna. A single big-wheel (or clover leaf) has a gain of about 3dBd. Mind you, I have no idea of the polarisation or gain on 70cm!
ReplyDeleteA recent poll on Twitter suggested that a third of FT8 users on 2m use vertical polarization... https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2021/02/twitter-poll-suggests-that-one-third-of.html
ReplyDelete