Where is your T bottom with respect to the tower, how many and kind of
radials do you have below the T, is there a direct connection to the tower,
and does the tower base have radials?
Guy.
On Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 11:30 AM, Mike & Coreen Smith <ve9aa@nbnet.nb.ca>wrote:
> OK, on a lark, I am going to try something. I just unhooked my A-D twin
> drooper, err, I mean sloper from the
> switchbox, then took a chunk of wire and shorted it out @ the PL-259 end at
> the base of the tower.
>
> The SWR on my T-vertical changed dramatically. (for the better). There
> must
> have been a lot of interaction, either through the switchbox itself, or
> just
> proximity??
>
> I'll leave it unhooked for a day or two and see how I make out with no
> reference antenna at all.
>
> I'll be the 30/S9 signal on the band tonight.......(hee hee)
>
> Thanks for all the emails. If this fails or produces mixed results, I may
> modify the antenna swaitch back to original if I can remember what I did to
> begin with(?) or put a new remote switch in there........or do as a couple
> suggested and mount an inverted VEE up near the top of my tower (44'),
> however that's really a last resort....I don't want a cloud burner.
>
> Another option I guess , is to lay out 100 more radials. Do-able, but
> wouldn't look forward to it ;-)
>
> Mike VE9AA
>
> Mike, Coreen & Corey Smith
> 699 Rte 616 Keswick Ridge
> NB
> Canada
> E6L 1T1
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Kenneth D. Grimm, K4XL
> To: Wes Attaway (N5WA)
> Cc: 'Mike & Coreen Smith' ; topband@contesting.com
> Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 11:49 AM
> Subject: Re: Topband: Low Alpha Delta DX-A twin sloper BEST antenna here -
> howcan that be?
>
>
> Mike,
>
> The procedure described by Wes below is exactly the approach I would
> take. If you do this, I'm betting that you are left with #1 below,
> since you said you previously had your antennas over "soggy ground."
> Rocky and soggy are significantly different.
> Good luck with your gremlin chasing.
>
> 73,
> Ken - K4XL
>
> Wes Attaway (N5WA) wrote:
> > Mike:
> >
> > 1. Maybe the type of rocky ground is the reason.
> > 2. Take down all the other wires and check the L (or T) by itself, still
> > using switchbox.
> > 3. Take out the switchbox and just feed the antenna directly (still by
> > itself, no other wires)
> > 4. If things are still bad then the problem probably has something to do
> > with your location.
> >
> >
> > ------------------ Wes Attaway (N5WA) ------------------
> > 1138 Waters Edge Circle - Shreveport, LA 71106
> > 318-797-4972 (office) - 318-393-3289 (cell)
> > Computer Consulting and Forensics
> > -------------- EnCase Certified Examiner ---------------
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: topband-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com]
> > On Behalf Of Mike & Coreen Smith
> > Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 6:44 AM
> > To: topband@contesting.com
> > Subject: Topband: Low Alpha Delta DX-A twin sloper BEST antenna here -
> > howcan that be?
> >
> > Sorry for the long and rambling post. . . .
> >
> > OK gang, I know antennas "fairly" well, but this has me stumped...really
> > REALLY stumped. I've beat myself up over this for 2 yrs. straight. I
> just
> > can't get it. I am (almost) ready to rip everything down and start from
> > scratch)
> >
> > I posed a ~similar~ question last year and have tried some different
> things,
> >
> > but I'm losing my patience with the wire here (hi)
> >
> > BACKGROUND:
> > At my old QTH, I ran an inverted L...5/16thWL and fed with a 800pF cap
> in
> > series. A dozen to two dozen 1/4wl radials(depending on how many got
> broken
> >
> > in the summer)over soggy ground. It meandered up 50-ish or so feet with
> the
> >
> > remaining 117' up/down/over/under trees --even the tip sloped back
> towards
> > the ground 20' or more.....and it ROCKED....I mean, I wasn't any VE1ZZ
> or
> > anything but I felt I was upper middle crust of the W1/VE1 pileup. I
> also
> > had the exact same tower and exact same Alpha Delta DX-A twin sloper up
> (for
> >
> > reference) and it s*cked...really bad. Easily several S units below
> > anything else on 40-80-160m
> >
> > NOWADAYS:
> > Fast forward to new QTH...same 48' DElhi self supporting tower set in
> > concrete....same 2 long 6m yagis on tower (48/64')....same lil' sloper
> > mounted @ 24' off side of tower....
> > I have tried 2 iterations of a plain inverted L.....currently it's a "T"
> > antenna. Sloping 55' or so up and 2 T's @ 55' or so each sloping @ aprox
> 45º
> >
> > to the ground....loads nicely with a few uH @ the base. Seems quieter
> than
> > the A-D twin.
> > I have tried shunt -and- series feeding my 48' tower (no problem to do).
> > They have all loaded well and I got a good SWR match with a usually
> narrow
> > window 50Kcs maybe of 2.1:1 SWR of which to operate in. I have 25 or so
> > 1/8wl to 1/4wl radials - 1" below the grass. Ground is rocky shale?
> sort of
> >
> > stuff. My QTH is on a nice high ridge and I do quite well on VHF and
> other
> > HF bands.
> >
> > My signal is pitiful on **all** the 160m antennas I've tried....with the
> > exception of the 1/4WL Dx-A twin sloper @ 24' !!! (it's best but it
> barely
> > works)
> >
> > The little/low twin sloper off the side of the towe is ALWAYS the
> loudest on
> >
> > the band....by usually 6dB or more........I know this can't be right.
> >
> > How can this be? I am using a 4-1 antenna switchbox (Ameritron I think)
> @
> > the base of the tower which the antennas all share. Many years back I
> > modified it so all antennas "floated" (instead of being grounded) when
> not
> > selected as I was using this as a K8UR sloper system switchbox at one
> time.
> > I am pretty sure (but not 100%) that I even ran a separate chunk of coax
> > right out to an inverted L last fall in desperation. I do lots of
> antenna
> > experimenting, so it's sometimes hard to remember the 45th iteration of
> a
> > trial I had a couple years ago, hi.
> >
> > I *DO* notice significant SWR curve changes on the lil' wee sloper if I
> make
> >
> > any mods to any of the other "REAL" 160m antennas.
> >
> > I either have interactions in the switchbox, or proximity between
> antennas
> > or something that I am totally missing. All 160m antennas are quite
> close
> > (less than 20-30' away).
> >
> > Logic tells me there is no way in heck the very low Alpha-Delta DX-A
> twin
> > sloper can __always__ be the best antenna to transmit and receive on.
> YET
> > is is !!? From what I see on the cluster, web and hear on the air, I
> can
> > hear quite well, but DX stations normally have to be 559-579 before I
> even
> > get a QRZ.....I am currently running ~750W.........
> >
> > I'm cracking up.....too much listening to QRN.......sorry for the long
> post.
> >
> > Thanks for any insight. I am ready to put a Webster Bandspanner on my
> > mobile and go sit out in the yard and DX.
> > <hi>
> >
> > VE9AA Mike
> >
> > Mike, Coreen & Corey Smith
> > 699 Rte 616 Keswick Ridge
> > NB
> > Canada
> > E6L 1T1
> > _______________________________________________
> > 160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> > Version: 9.0.698 / Virus Database: 270.14.53/2486 - Release Date:
> 11/07/09 02:38:00
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Ken K4XL
> k4xl@arrl.net
>
> *** BoatAnchor Manual Archive ***
> On the web at http://bama.sbc.edu and http://bama.edebris.com
> FTP site info: bama.sbc.edu login: anonymous p/w: youremailadr
>
> _______________________________________________
> 160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 8.5.425 / Virus Database: 270.14.52/2485 - Release Date: 11/06/09
> 19:39:00
> _______________________________________________
> 160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M
>
_______________________________________________
160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M
|