[amsat-bb] True bearings vs. magnetic

[Mike Diehl]

You bring up an important point regarding beam width. The link provided shows a 3 element with 100° width so you need to be within 50° of either side of center to be inside the front lobe. 

Now consider a V/UHF beam that can have 3-5x as many elements. Say for instance you’re at 30° beam width or 15° to either side of center. If the station is off by 12.5° they are almost completely outside the lobe. 

With my 5x9 Arrow I notice just how much more accurate I need to be when pointing over the 3x7 Arrow II if I want maximum gain. 

That said, just how important it is to be true north versus magnetic north is going to depend on your beam width. 

73,
Mike Diehl
W8LID

> On Jun 3, 2018, at 12:10, John KI4RO <johnki4ro at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I don't think its all that critical based on what I see here:
> 
> http://www.dx-antennas.com/Yagi3.htm
> 
> 
> 73
> John KI4RO
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