Would just like to echo what Caroly has said about verticals,
I have used verticals since day one on all my 117 summits, I can adjust it to be a full quarter wave ground plane on 20,17,15,12,10, and on 40m it loads with a coil. It is self supporting I don’t need to depend on tree or a pole being available on the summits I don’t even need to guy it if there is no wind. And i have only ever used one counterpoise.(I know more would be better)
Some people tend to think verticals are noisy, maybe in urban areas they are but they are great out in the open.
The problem with any low strung horizontal antenna is that they
produce a pattern with the majority of the signal radiated
perpendicular to the ground; good for NVIS on 80/60/or 40m, not ideal
for medium to long range contacts on 20m (and up) where low angle
radiation is preferred which is best obtained from a vertical antenna.
Carolyn
Using the inverted vee with its apex at 5 meters height on 20 meters I consistently get well into Europe and frequently into asiatic russia and the usa with qrp cw.
The physical height of the apex from the ground may be 5 meters but I’ll bet it’s a great deal higher than an effective local electrical ground when sited high up a GM summit.
I must admit to only using the dipole because its so easy.
…I think your location has a lot to do with the band you choose to
activate on…
Mark G0VOF
So true, here from the arctic circle I find myself using 80m for “local” ssb qso’s, 2m does not work because the population density in here is two per square kilometer…
40m and 20m is something that I use very little, too crowded and so many deaf stations for qrp, 30m and 17m PSK31 works beautifully all over europe with qso distances between 1500-3000km.
The antenna I use is horizontally and vertically inverted v 80m doublet, it needs only one guy wire.