Open letter to Michael WA7CRV in Iowa

Michael,
I had a single vertical made from a 3 inch dia. aluminum irrigation pipe with 40 radials. I think I worked 96 countries with it. Very broad banded - you could use the whole band top to bottom with very low SWR. The phased array hears much much better but gets out just slightly better. I really like the way I can lower the power line noise to my West. I keep it pointed NE most of the time for this reason. Most times I get lower reports than I give out. Why ? I don't know other than I am shooting through a dense tree. The leaves are falling off of it now so If I get better reports when they are all off I will have it cut down in the Spring. The array has been lots of work but a fun project. It is fun to switch back and forth NE to Broadside and then SW to see the difference. It should be about 20 db difference but it is more like 12 db. I did not spare anything while putting it together. All stainless steel even the bolts. If you ever put one together (single) it should show about 1.4 to 1.0 SWR and 36 ohms at the feed point (at the antenna) not inside the shack. Mine  shows just that but with a random 120 Ft. feed line it shows 1.14 to 1. and 1 to1 on broadside. My array shows 46 ohms with a "T" hooking both antennas together, just what it should be. All of this info came from the book "Low Band DXing" . I have found I can work Europe sooner than about anyone in the states. I also have a 40 meter inverted Vee and I can decode signals that don't even show on the Vee so it is working great. I usually use from 5 to 20 watts on JT65 or JT9. I have worked VK and ZL with 5 watts many times. Well that's enough bragging. Thanks for the QSO and next time you see me on the waterfall give me a call and I will switch in your direction.
73,
Jack WB9OTX
www.wb9otx.com