At 13:41 02/06/00 +0200, you wrote:

To All from PA0SE

Walter Blanchard quoted the RACAL expert who has in the past  designed the
Decca antennas as follows:

>(...)  If the small one has an assymetric horizontal component (flat-top)
> this will complicate matters considerably since it will radiate both
> vertical and
> horizontally-polarised and there will be interaction between them that
> will affect the radiation pattern. So it would be unlikely to have a
circular
> polar pattern and this might account for some of the observed variations.

This is not confirmed by computer simulation.

Computer program AO by Brian Beezley, K6STI, shows  for the L-antenna over
medium ground  an almost perfect omnidirectional radiation pattern. The
deviation
from a circle is no  more than about 0.1dB.

The program also shows that the maximum of the horizontally polarised wave
is straight up and 21.1dB down on the maximum of the vertically polarised
wave.
The latter maximum occurs under an angle of 12 degrees (direct + reflected
wave).
In the region where the inverse distance law is applicable the space in the
vertical radiation pattern between  zero degrees and the lobe under 12
degrees is filled by the surface wave.

Dick,

I haven't got AO so could you see what it says about the following:

An inverted-L half-wave resonant at 1950 kHz, vertical section  25m high,
horizontal  55m long.  What does it predict the VERTICALLY-POLARISED
horizontal polar pattern to be ?
I know the answer, because I've measured it, I just want to know what
your AO says!

Walter G3JKV.