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.
3 comments:
It could also mean that a significant number of operators are using vertical antennae, as opposed to conventional wisdom.
Also... 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!
A 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
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