Greetings Tower-Talkians:
Several have commented on the horiz FW loop as an effective cloud
warmer. I concur. I use an 80 meter horiz FW loop (abt 255 ft total)
fed with 160 ft of 450 ohm ladder line directly to the balun in the
tuner. It is in a pentagon configuration. The hgt at the feed point
is 28 ft, the 2 closest corners are at 40 ft, and the 2 distant
corners are at 45 ft. It is on a slope dropping off towards the East.
I used the ant on 80 thru 10M during my 100 watt Sweepsnakes CW effort
of 616 Qs/77 sects/94.8K. The antenna is also super effectrive for
the Northern FL HF ARES 0900 EST SSB net and I can nicely hear
everyone from the panhandle to the central East coast. Not all net
participants enjoy hearing the others. The 80M FW also works
noticibly well on 40M and I alternate using it and a 40M EDZ oriented
towards Gibraltar. The EDZ is only 27 ft at the center cause that's
as tall as the long leaf pine trees will will allow.
A FW horiz loop doesn't require as much space as one would initially
imagine. The ideal is to have the loop circular, according to what I
have read in the journals, but any shape will work. Figure out how
to do it in your yard...almost nothing is critical. Try it you'll
like it.
73 Pete K4LDR Citrus County, FL on the Gulf of Mex
Member of the Florida Contest Group (FCG) - visit our website at:
http://www.4w.com/deemer/fcg.htm
The Florida Contest Group sponsors the Florida QSO Party, check out
the FQP website@: http://home1.gte.net/wd4ahz/fcg/ssqp.htm
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