[HCDX] New EWE antenna

[mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx (Patrick Martin)]

Hi everyone:

After 20 years of having my old trusty EWE antenna up, which netted me
everything from Cook Islands-630 to Nepal-792/576 and India-864, it came
down a few days ago.
  Unfortunately my neighbor decided to place an electric fence in the
way so it would be hard to get get to the far end to adjust the pot for
termination. The fence has been in place for the past 2 years. 
  The wire came loose from the termination earlier this year I believe
and later broke loose. I pulled it the rest of the way in and I have
been trying to find another spot to put the EWE antenna. The way the
land is situated, it is not possible to get exactly the same angle as
before, but I can get close. The wire ran to the NE and came down the
trunk of the tree were the termination was. I put up a new EWE and ran
it over some branches and over to a high branch that sticks out a ways
and then down the branch  and straight to the ground to a termination
point. 
   I was disappointed with the results at first. I had forgotten that
75% or more of the DX effect along the Oregon coast has to do with a
good ground. The wire is important, but putting in lots of grounding at
the termination point and also at the matching transformer makes all the
difference in the world.
   I now have 4 ground rods at both places connected together with bare
#14 copper wire. The nulls have improved alot, but they are not the same
as before. I now get a null, fairly sharp when adjusting the 5K ohm pot
to the SE (Portland OR stations). The oldnull to the NE (Seattle WA
stations) is not nearly as sharp as before. This is during the day when
you can get groundwave conditions with no fading. 
    Since I am off maybe 10 degrees from my old EWE and the wire angle
is a bit difference and is also 10-15 longer than before, I guess
getting the same results would not be possible.
   The antenna has been OK as I am hearing several Hawaiians, Tahiti, &
Tonga on the antenna. I guess if the wire has a certain null to the SE
or NE,  does not matter with DX to the Pacific. 
   The other EWE I was so used to, that getting used to a new one is a
bit hard.
At least the EWE works!

73s, 

Patrick Martin
Seaside  OR
KAVT Reception Manager

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