Hi Guys, I grind the outer bayonet portion off male 50 ohm BNC connectors (they are manufactured in TWO impedances) and use them as quick disconnects for N-type 50 ohm females in testing. Also, 50 oh
of Gladly. I have no idea how silly rumors like that get started. BNC stands for Big Nose Chuck or Big Nose Collingwood, information is somewhat sparse which is correct. That connector was "invented
Hi Bill, tuned another a something If the line is 50 ohm line, SWR will not change with line length when measured by a 259B. It also will not change in real life with line length changes if the line
I'd suggest Teeing the top as much as possible and adding a loading coil at the base. That should be much better than folding over the entire upper end of the antenna! "Linear loading" or folding th
Good point. If the cable is "messed up" at the balun or between the balun and the meter, it can allow common mode current on the line. In that case, changing line length might change SWR. Common mod
Hi Lane, Loop radiation resistance and efficiency are generally maximized when the highest average current appears over the entire length of the radiator. That would mean, with a 1/4 wl vertical sect
starting UV light kills many types of fiberglass. It causes the bonding agent to crumble. I had some flat insulators with one side exposed to sunlight. After six years in the Georgia sun, UV light p
Hi Paul, I use a G5RV quite often. Mine is about 130 feet high, on the side of one of my tall 160 m towers. Others reported no difference when a regular dipole at about the same height on the low end
Hi Pete, damaged removed damaged, severely very evidence the going Yes. Been there done that many many times over the years. I NEVER use 73 material beads with higher power, or with high common mode
-- To: <towertalk@contesting.com> Sevick over this one and those are two titans I would not want to get into the middle of a technical argument with. But after thinking about things a little, it appe
Hi Steve and all, The sign on my wall says............ "The best antenna is the one that makes us happiest, no matter how it really works." Watch carefully, and see if that isn't true. 73 Tom -- FAQ
They are fancy radiating dummy loads. If you want the same thing, save money and put up your own dipole. Run two cables to the feedpoint, attaching them both in parallel. Feed one, and attach the ot
Hi Tom, "Return Loss" is another fancy way of describing "SWR". Both are ratios. Any ratio can be expressed in dB, since dB is by definition a ratio. DB save use paper and ink, because a large differ
-- To: <towertalk@contesting.com> great they you wireless, I think you mean the RCS-8. The RCS-8V will handle 5 or ten kilowatts, mine is over 10 years old. I can't imagine a reason to pay big dollar
Hi David, "Capture area" is mostly an amateur radio myth used to create an advantage where none exists!!! I think it was derived from the useful term "effective aperture" which is a function of direc
Hi Guys, Be very careful weaving the grip over the small cross braces. The grip can break or be weakened if it is only in contact with the small diameter cross-brace rods, and not held flat against t
I've learned over the years that even one mile is not far enough from those nasty big power lines. I now make it my "rule" to be located more than five miles from them. Even if the line is "quiet" w
Hi All, people, only feedpoints of you're more installations have The slope of the hill matters generally very little if the antennas are not shadowed from each other by obstructions, or unless you l
Great Tom! I'm glad you also caught the serious flaw in the method used! Too many people rely on flawed measurements for critical information! ..........and that would require a VERY tall tower even
There was a thread about this on the 160 reflector. I think people incorrectly assume interferometer or other nulling/ peaking techniques will supply the true optimum wave angle, but that isn't the c