[600MRG] Strange antenna test

[John Andrews]

I'm going to be running WE2XGR/3 (using "WE3XGR" as a call sign) tonight 
on 630m WSPR (474.200 + 1.475). The antenna will be a 40 meter dipole, 
and transmitter power will be about 40 watts. Reports from the New 
England area would be appreciated. I ran the antenna with 9 watts last 
night, and was easily copied by Jay at 70 miles. 40 watts represents the 
max I can do with the cobbled-together tuning network, and the 7 dB 
might make the signal more useful.

For those who are interested, a low horizontal dipole at MF/LF is 
considered to be a pretty rotten antenna due to cancellation of the 
normal broad-side radiation fields. But a QEX article in July, 2009 by 
Jack Belrose, VE2CV, pointed out that such antennas do have vertically 
polarized radiation off the ends. I did some experiments with an 80 
meter dipole at that time, and it did indeed show end-fire preference to 
AM broadcast signals. With a very crude coupling setup for transmitting, 
I succeeded in getting a QRSS30 signal over a 130 mile path at 508 kHz, 
using 1 watt or so of transmitter output. But it wasn't a great 
performer, and I let the idea drop.

The present 40 meter dipole is fed with ladder line, and its impedance 
at the shack end is around 16 -j1400 ohms at 475 kHz. Using a slightly 
smaller inductor and paralleled variable cap across the the line, I can 
get a decent 50 ohm match with a 2-turn link.

No big axe to grind here, just a possible demonstration that you can do 
some weak-signal regional work at 630m without much in the way of an 
antenna. Again, reports from the NE guys would be appreciated.

John, W1TAG / WE2XGR/3