Operating from the woods versus out in the open—is there a difference?
As a notorious “tree-hanger,” I use a tree as a mast 99% of the time for my 20-meter-long EFHW, configured as an inverted V.
Now, there is a comprehensive study on this very subject—conducted over the course of a year using two antennas, both inside and outside the forest. The experiment involved transmitting to WSPRnet, alternating between the two locations every two minutes on the same frequency.
Brief raw Summary:
< 5000 km skip — No difference
5000 - 10000 km skip — 90% success rate in the wood
13000 km (DL - VK) 10% success rate when in the wood*)
*) The editor don’t like the greater sign, hi
Source CQDL 6-2026, page50-52, DK3TG “Statische WSPR-Messung mit parallelen Beacons”
I can’t back this up with actual measurements, but I also have the impression that trees can provide shielding.
However, in my experience, there are differences involved. While conifers seem to offer hardly any attenuation, the situation looks quite different under a dense deciduous forest—for instance, one filled with lush linden or beech trees. In such settings, I do perceive a noticeable attenuation.
If the trees stand in scattered groups, and you maintain some distance when setting up your antenna, performance improves again.
You can also escape characters with a backslash. So \> will appear as >
I’m trying to think of any summits I have activated which has a tree. Only one comes to mind G/LD-052 and they are more like bushes. There can’t be many in the UK.
