A long while ago, I wrote about a QSO with an US-based station that reported my signal - using a one element (which of course also has a virtual second element in the ground) vpol delta loop and 80W SSB - as being the same as a guy in south Wales using a 3-ele SteppIR and 400W. This was within seconds of both stations making contact with that guy in the US.
Inevitably, a few people didn't believe me. But the signal reports were carefully made, not thrown out to make people feel better.
Tonight, a couple of years later, and with my station now using a 3-ele monobander for 12m (6m above local ground, but on a low ridge of 320 feet amsl), I was again able to simultaneously compare my signal with that of the same station in south Wales, still running a 3-ele SteppIR and 400W. The receiving station was W4WT, using a 5 element Yagi his end (and 1kW out.)
The result?
The 3-ele SteppIR and 400W gave a signal of 59.
My 3-ele LFA Yagi (Innovantennas) running 60W gave 59+20dB.
W4WT, with 5 elements and 1kW, was running 59+35dB to me.
I can already feel a few folks laugh. But that's because they aren't taking the environment into account. The ARRL HF Terrain Assessment model yields, for my location, +14dBi gain when both the antenna and ground gain are taken into account in the direction of the US. That turns 60W into more than a kW in effective output.
Whilst I can't comment on the accuracy of the ARRL software, it certainly seems to be in the right ballpark when you consider the experience of the delta loop matching the SteppIR and big power, and the 3-ele LFA on just 60W beating the hell out of it!
No, I'm not at all into bashing other operators, or making stupid claims. But it is very gratifying to see yet again that, just like a good property, a good radio place is all down to location, location, location, and no amount of aggressive, disbelieving argument is going to change that!
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