Vertical antennas perform best in low radiation angle DX, when they are placed on a high conductive soil. For example soil like wet farmland, swampy soil or rich soil with a high concetration minerals. But the best ground would be large silver plate but that would not be very realistic. However, there is a type of ground that is so conductive that if you place a ¼ wave vertical on it, it can compete with a 3 element Yagi at 10m height. That ground is called: Salt Water. But what has that got to do with the Island festival?
WWRO Island Festival is an annual event where operators activate islands. The festival goes along with a kind competition: Work as many activations as possible. Every year I wanted to join the competition, but other obligations always prevented this. But this year I am in, and with a special setup! My country is surrounded by sea, so a great opportunity to operate and test verticals near salt water. There are certain locations where you have salt water 270° around, and such a location will be my portable setup for this year.
Instead of placing a vertical near the shoreline, I am actually going to have a vertical floating out in the sea on a small wooden boat about a wavelength from the shoreline, using the entire North Sea as my counterpoise. At the sametime another vertical will stand on the beach, also about a wavelength from the shoreline. That will give me a nice opportunity to test both setups, and see if floating out on the sea produces even more dB’s gain
I will be out there on 2nd June!


