why bother with a trap--it will only quit working eventually. Why not simply run two wires spaced apart, one about 1/4 w. on 160 and the other half that length for 80, an inverted L version of the fa
You will see short towers with a taper base in circumstances where the tower is out in the open in a windy area and even though short, is holding a high wind load. An example is a short tower out in
One of the ham magazines, either CQ or QST (but I'm pretty sure it was CQ) had a good article with photos a month or three ago on how to make your own air wound coils, including how to fabricate the
It turns out the article I mentioned was in two parts in the May and June 2008 issues of CQ. It is "Build Your Own Air-Wound Coils" by Phil Salas AD5X and is in the Weekender column in those two issu
two questions: 1. If you don't want "funky UHF," (and I can understand why you would not like UHF) why don't you say what you DO want? N? DIN?.....? 2. You say you want a barrel but let's be careful
I remember reading the K3LC paper when it came out. He did a good job with his research, modeling and plots and added yet another way of looking at the ground system picture. On thinking about it som
Those aren't hard or easy ways; they are wrong ways, especially if the splice is outside where you will eventually have problems due to condensation and possible water penetration. The dielectric is
It's because some hams get a kick out of trying to save a few bucks, even if it costs more time and money in the long run than doing it right would have from the beginning. But anyway, a makeshift sp
In addition to the other questions, I'd like to know the range of the air variable cap you are using. A range of around 20 to 40 pF at the low end and 400 to 500 pF at the high end is good. Of course
when it comes to insulated hot towers (or other constructions of verticals over ground systems) I always figure it doesn't hurt to see how commercial towers are done to get some ideas: http://www.amg
The recent world financial crisis has resulted in a dramatic slowdown in construction projects world-wide. Motor vehicle sales have dropped causing a production slowdown and these two factors have de
I think you're going to find out that for the height you want, your tubing will prove to be too skinny and rickety. I'd start out with a bottom diameter of 4 or at least three inches. I'd work out a
Dave, I think you say you can go out 10 feet. I take that to mean you can put your guy anchors out no farther than ten feet from the masts which are 40 feet tall. That's not far enough. The guys will
I've wondered before what the deal is with 43 foot verticals. By that I mean, it seems suddenly I started seeing 43 feet mentioned all over the place for an "all band vertical." Is 43 feet some magic
Frank, Thanks; I get it now. 73 rob / k5uj <<<Rob, A 43 foot vertical is 5/8 wavelength on 20 meters. With appropriate radial and matching systems it can be an excellent antenna on 80 through 20 mete
I have never used any F12 antennas but from your description, it sounds like this one is: a vertically polarized off center dipole loaded in two ways--coils and horizontal rods perpendicular to the e
Ah, you evidently missed the relatively brief period of a few years during which John Bliss was making his revered Bliss Matchmasters. I say this in the past tense because I just googled and looked a
After the first 300 feet of Magnum tower came down in March following a construction accident, the tower rebuild began again a few weeks ago at KFI Los Angeles's La Mirada tx site, with new 7 foot fa
I'm sorry Lee; I can't answer because in its current form your survey is not well thought out. For one thing, you should include the band(s) you are interested in. Obviously an antenna for 160 m. is
AM broadcast towers are usually at least ~150 to 160 feet tall (1/4 w/l at the top of the bc band) and have leg ends that have flanges. At the flanges where two sections meet and are bolted together