Scott:
Yes, you can use magnet wire if it's available to you. But its
insulation layer will probably scuff away after a year or two and the
underlying wire will begin to corrode and open up on you. I like THHN or
even scrap insulated wire because its outer coating is pretty durable when
the wires become buried amongst the rocks in the dirt. None of my radials
is as large as yours. I used (mainly) scrap wire that was a maximum of #18
gauge. But bigger is better from a durability standpoint.
73 de
Gene Smar AD3F
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott MacKenzie" <kb0fhp@comcast.net>
To: "'Gene Smar'" <ersmar@verizon.net>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 7:13 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 160M Antenna -
>I will try that...tying the ends together. As it stands now, connecting
>the
> loop to the tuner in normal fashion, I am able to get a 3:1 match. So
> there
> is hope. I also use a 80M vertical with a capacitance hat (39 feet tall
> with two wires 29' long in a upside down V) and that works well - even
> with
> a minimum of radials - about five 60' long. That gives me an SWR of !:!
> In
> the DX portion of 80M. I really should use more radials to lower the
> impedance and a 2:1 to increase it properly.
>
> I can look at doing something similar for 160M, and using more wires for a
> capacitance hat.
>
> Thank you....my CW isn't fast enough anymore to play contest this weekend.
> I am listening though....
>
> Is there a minimum size needed for radials? I use #14 stranded THHN as
> that
> is what I have available. Can I get away with magnet wire?
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Scott
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gene Smar [mailto:ersmar@verizon.net]
> Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 7:06 PM
> To: Scott MacKenzie; towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 160M Antenna - Ideas
>
> Scott:
>
> Tying the feedline leads from your loop together is supposed to work.
> But keep in mind that it is this parallel pair of wires that does most of
> the radiating - they form a vertical antenna, some of which is inside your
> shack. The loop is more of a top-hat capacitive load than a major
> radiating
> element in this configuration.
>
> Because you have only one wire lead leaving your transmitter with this
> arrangement (the para;;e;ed feedline conductors) you will need to provide
> a
> decent RF ground, if you don't already have one, for your station's radio
> chassis. Otherwise, your entire shack will be hot with RF trying to find
> its way back to Mother Earth. (Your mic will be hot.)
>
> If this doesn't work for you, you can still install an outdoor
> vertical
> wire among the trees. Your ground system would then have to consist of as
> many wires as you can fit into your small lot (my lot is also small and I
> was able to manage a 64-foot tower plus triband Yagi that I feed on 160M
> plus an inverted L, also for 160M. My ground system has only a few 1/4 WL
> ground radial wires; most are short but I have lots of 'em.)
>
>
> 73 de
> Gene Smar AD3F
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Scott MacKenzie" <kb0fhp@comcast.net>
> To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 6:47 PM
> Subject: [TowerTalk] 160M Antenna - Ideas
>
>
>>I have a small yard - a very small yard. I use an 80M loop and it takes
>>up
>> 3/4 of my yard. Needless to say, I do not have space for 120 radials 100
>> feet long. I have height - a lot of tall trees. My interest in DX. I
>> know
>> that will be a problem, but I will be thankful for what I get.
>>
>> Any suggestions? Would tying the leads of the 80M loop into a single and
>> feeding it as a vertical work?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Scott. AKA kb0fhp
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
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>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
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