When choosing an antenna, Q factor should always be taken into consideration. It is important to select an antenna which maintains a Q of at least 200 throughout its bandwidth. This rules out about 80% of the current batch of commercially available, remotely tuned, HF antennas. It should be mentioned that Qs higher than 300 are difficult to achieve, and offer little advantage over ones with a Q of 200, unless they're properly mounted. Once the Q drops to under ≈100, the SNR we're striving for drops drastically. Fact is, really lossy and improper antennas installations are better noise antennas, than signal antennas! Especially so if common mode isn't choked off. High Q antennas have less noise and better receive than bottom load antennas like the one on Craigs truck.
I think I'll order an AA-54 while I'm home. I'd like one just for this purpose--the graphing function.
Lots of catching up to do in order to hit the 80 mile mark (mobile to mobile). Or 135 miles base to mobile at will. Kinda requires a little thinking (and $$) in order to achieve that range on an at will basis.
Dude if i got a solid 20 miles with my gear i would be jumpin outta my skin but 80!!!! fugget bout ittt