Here are a couple more pictures showing the updated configuration of my Waller Flag receive antenna. I connected a rotator so I can now turn the antenna from the shack; the antenna seems to be working well enough that I went through the effort of running the rotor cable down the dock.
Here is another plot of the antenna’s pattern:
Power lines run along the shore line, to the left of the antenna in the plot above, about 50ft away. You can see how the pattern is disrupted – reradiation of noise? There is not much I can do about it but relocate the antenna further away down the dock, which would place it directly next to the big vertical. I would have to do a full reconfiguration of all the antennas – which is not going to happen.
So – honestly – how does the antenna work? To Europe I see definite performance. I hear stations on the RX antenna that are inaudable on the TX vertical. In other directions, the receive antenna improves the signal to noise ratio, however there have been several cases where I still hear the DX best on the transmit antenna. I suspect that I hear exceptionally well with the vertical as it is located over salt water, which may make it seem like the RX antenna isn’t working as well as it is. On the higher bands I see definite performance, even on 17 and 15m. On these bands I have a high hoise floor, and the RX antenna definitely knocks the edge off on the noise. I am extremely happy with the Waller Flag, and will keep it until time to pack up and transfer in late Spring 2010 (where to, I don’t yet know).
Some photos:
Here is the rotator showing the home-made heavy duty twisted pair feeder at the high stress turning point.
