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Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Coax lengths for phasing a stack

To: Chuck Dietz <w5prchuck@gmail.com>, "towertalk@contesting.com" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Coax lengths for phasing a stack
From: Markku Oksanen <ww1c@outlook.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2015 17:49:49 +0000
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Hi
In reality this works well on just one frequency because you would have one 
line be physically longer and then also the phase would "rotate" faster at the 
end of that line.
The best rule of thumb is to use the same length lines if no other criteria is 
used.If a single band system, then same lengths but odd number times electrical 
quarter wave is about the best I can think of.  This may lead to longer line 
lengths but if you take a look at the feed point impedance of two yagis at say 
1 lambda and 1/2 lambda you will find that they are different because of the 
proximity to ground no matter how they are retuned at height.  I forgot to say 
that I use this same approach for my two 2-0-2 stack on 40 m.  All antennas are 
on two 145 to 160 foot towers.
Markku

> Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2015 11:15:49 -0600
> From: w5prchuck@gmail.com
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Fwd:  Coax lengths for phasing a stack
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Chuck Dietz <w5prchuck@gmail.com>
> Date: Sun, Feb 8, 2015 at 11:15 AM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Coax lengths for phasing a stack
> To: Markku Oksanen <ww1c@outlook.com>
> 
> 
> I am not sure of the question, but I have thought about putting the
> switchbox at the center of a 3 Yagi stack and feeding the center Yagi with
> X length coax and the upper and lower ones with X+1 wavelength coax.  This
> might reduce the total amount of coax.
> 
> Chuck W5PR
> 
> On Sun, Feb 8, 2015 at 10:11 AM, Markku Oksanen <ww1c@outlook.com> wrote:
> 
> > I have a four stack of tribanders on two different towers and one of them
> > is with equal length lines to the bottom and the second one is with lines
> > that have a bit of calculations behind them. Those terminate at to a 4:1
> > broadband transformer at the middle of the tower.  The length is such that
> > it is an odd number of electrical wavelengths on 15 m.  This is because a
> > quarter wave line forces the current at the antenna feed point to be the
> > voltage at the other end divided by the line impedance.  This also makes
> > sure that the phase is the same.  I did this because the 15 m band SWR
> > profile was the worst, on 20 and 10 the lines are about 1/2 wave or X times
> > 1/2 wave.   So, for any HF stack where the antennas are in different
> > environments or slightly different on their own, this approach better
> > guarantees proper phasing.  I have an Excel sheet to calculate these that I
> > can share if needed.MarkkuOH2RA/OG2A/WW1C
> > > From: john@kk9a.com
> > > To: towertalk@contesting.com
> > > Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2015 10:28:11 -0500
> > > Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Coax lengths for phasing a stack
> > >
> > > While this does one really answer your question of using different
> > feedline
> > > lengths, I use equal lengths of coax with no particular length in
> > regards to
> > > wavelength.  Mine all run to the base of the tower. You could save a lot
> > of
> > > coax by having them meet in the middle however if you use switching then
> > > your relays are 150' in the air in your example.  If you used four yagis,
> > > you could group them on the tower and bring only a pair of feedlines down
> > > the tower for switching and save some coax. FWIW, LDF4 is much easier to
> > > coil up on the tower than LDF5 and it is inexpensive if you shop around.
> > >
> > > John KK9A
> > >
> > > To:   TowerTalk@contesting.com
> > > Subject:      [TowerTalk] Coax lengths for phasing a stack
> > > From: Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net>
> > > Date: Sat, 07 Feb 2015 18:48:10 -0800
> > >
> > > I'm ruminating about what lengths I need for 5L over 5L stacks to
> > equalize
> > > the antenna feedpoint phase. The literature seems thin and the common
> > answer
> > > is "make the feed-lines the same length", which I am certain will work.
> > >
> > > However, when the stack separations are sufficient, there may be more
> > than 1
> > > wavelength of coax needed to equalize the lengths. e.g. 60' separation on
> > > 20m at 0.89 vf (LDF5) is just about 1 wl. It seems to me there is little
> > > downside with ham radio modulation systems to phase at 0 (equal lengths)
> > or
> > > +/- n * 360 degrees (where n is 1 or 2). Perhaps some cw waveshaped
> > > attack/decay envelopes will change a tiny bit, but that seems like a
> > slight
> > > downside.
> > >
> > > So it may work out that no extra phasing line is needed for certain
> > > separations. I am planning that all misc lengths of coax's and types are
> > the
> > > same for both antennas (rotator loops, boom and choke lengths).
> > >
> > > Then there is the slightly counter-intuitive result that making the
> > longer
> > > (higher antenna) feedline a bit longer minimizes the coax used in the
> > > phasing at some separations. And one more trick would be to reverse the
> > > outputs of one side of the TLT matching transformer for BIP to eliminate
> > 1/2
> > > wl of phasing line. It wouldn't matter for Top or Bottom only use.
> > >
> > > So, is this analysis correct?  Any other options for using less coax?
> > >
> > > Grant KZ1W
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > >
> > >
> > >
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