Way of connecting a random or wire antenna

[greenline]

I have drawn out on paper an antenna I am putting together to get me on 80 meters. I plan to use a wire antenna that will be 90-100 feet in length or close to that. The wire will from my shack rise up 6' up a wooden fence and run along top of the fence for 20 feet or so and then will at an angle run to the other end of my yard to the top of a 31 foot pole(fiberglass).The section that rises to the pole will be approx: 70 feet.

I am looking for a way to run this wire into my shack , this is what I have come up with please tell if this is workable. I will drive a ground rod in near the fence. I plan on using as many radials as I can connected to this rod, one problem I will not be able to go in a 360 degree direction. I want to mount on a box a so239 connector and connect the to the radials and run a short piece of coax from the so239 connector to a manual tuner. The wire from the antenna would go into the back of the so239 connector.

I am very limited as to what I can put up. I have a 4BT vertical on the other side of my yard which works well.

[WØTKX]

I think you said in another post that you have an auto-tuner? The trick is to be able to stay within the range of what the tuner can do. May have to play with a balun or other matching tricks at the feed point.

Are you are just going to run the wire straight in to the tuner? Doable, just different issues.

What's the make and model tuner you have again?

Does it really have to be end fed? Consider this... it might be simpler, with the potential to give you less grief with interference. Like a tingly microphone.

Can you build the antenna so the feed point is at the bend where you go up to the pole? Longer runs of coax are tolerable at the lower frequencies... and this may work as a dipole. Get just a bit more than 100 feet in that length if you can... more likely the tuner will be happier, and

Picking the feed point a little off center is going to help, as an equal length dipole low to the ground is likely less than 50 Ohms.

Put a couple of little Christmas trees on top of the fence poles and raise that wire. You see, it's to stabilize the tree tops... ;)

Take a picture of your drawing and post it here. Put a funny picture in it, and it will go up on the fridge. I promise. :P Seriously, even a simple drawing might help.

[greenline]

Ok I will try and put a drawing on here. I don't have an auto tuner yet but am looking for one. I have a cheaper MFJ manual tuner right now. I was not going to run wire directly into the shack. I was going to run the coax from the so239 connector where the wire would go into the back of the connector. Damn I wished I lived out in the country again. If I feed it off center at the point where it goes at the angle to the end of the yard it would only be about 26 feet from the one end. Thank you for trying to help me as trying to figure this stuff out sometimes makes you climb the walls :)).
Ed

[N8YX]

Ok I will try and put a drawing on here. I don't have an auto tuner yet but am looking for one.

Ed,

Buy an SGC SmartTuner and mount it at the end of your wire. Connect wire to unbalanced output; coax feed to radio in shack and radials to "ground" binding post on tuner unit. Sit back, let the tuner do the work...and enjoy.

http://www.sgcworld.com/230ProductPage.html

http://www.sgcworld.com/Images/Products/smartunerside1-1.jpg

[WØTKX]

Well yea, the tuner at the feed point is the best.

If it's not a budget buster, do it!

Nothing is a problem, with the sufficient application of $$$

[N9FE]

Why a Longwire. a doublet fed with 450 or 600 ohm will kill that antenna. End feds are very directional, very hard to tune, and very inefficent. I myself would rethink that. There are ways of sneeking a simple dipole, doublet into small lots and spaces. We all have done it. And you most likely can too. Even if one us have to talk to you on the phone. Mostly what i'm saying is why go through all the work for an antenna that does not perform that well....

[WØTKX]

Yea, that's why I think he should mess with a dipole too. Based on his description, balanced line is probably out.

But I have buddies that are very happy with long wire antennas.

The worst that can happen is it won't work, and you'll need to do something different. Test things at low power. No matter what, you'll learn some really neat stuff. Pick a method and just do it!

[greenline]

I hear what you guys are saying but it would be hard to hide a dipole on my property where it would fit in with the property. if this antenna only gets me on 80 meters thats all I would need.To feed this as a dipole it would be way off center. Plus I don't think you can let the 300 or 450 ohm line lay on the ground. Like I said I wished I lived in the country again :D

I do thank you all for the ideas though and I guess I will just have to try something and see what happens, after all thats where the fun comes in.

[nx6d]

Sigh.

Here we go again.

Got a callsign, station? And spare me the usual noise.

[WØTKX]

Sigh.

Here we go again.

Got a callsign, station? And spare me the usual noise.

???? Was that called for? :shock: My question is not baloney. :(

[N9FE]

Yes a call sign would be good about now.. There are atleast three different antennas that would work fine in your situation. But you need to id here or find another bunch to question. If you have to hide go ahead and hide. But i'm done till i see a valid call....

[ad4mg]

Amateur callsigns as usernames are optional here, but I see the point. My personal preference is much the same, but the choice is up to the individual user. If Ed wishes to not use his amateur call for his username, this is his choice. If you guys don't want to correspond with Ed unless he uses a callsign, this is also your choice. I can live with members who choose not to use their callsigns as long as they don't cause problems. So far, Ed has certainly not caused any problems, seems to be interested in amateur radio, and has obviously researched the hobby to a certain degree. It would seem a shame to deny such a person the benefit of our experience based solely on him not using a callsign.

Also, we've had instances of people bootlegging the calls of other folks in the past, so it's no guarantee of identity either.

We can, at the user's request, change their usernames.

[WØTKX]

It would seem a shame to deny such a person the benefit of our experience based solely on him not using a callsign.


+33.33333 :mrgreen: What he said...

[N9FE]

Roger Luke:

[greenline]

If that was ment for me KB3ILN, sorry if I caused such a stir. I won't ask anymore questions.

[N8YX]

If that was ment for me KB3ILN, sorry if I caused such a stir. I won't ask anymore questions.

By all means ask questions. That's what we're here for...

[N9FE]

Ed: you ask as many questions as you want.. You have to understand that when someone without a call showing, is asking questions about a stealth antenna for 80 meters my flags go up. After ten years of the most rotten qrm on 80 meters and not one darn thing done about it by the fcc, You have to understand my fear... Look into a inverted L.. it would just about fit your needs to a Tee.. William Orr. The ARRL low band DX'ing books are a real good place for referance...

[greenline]

"William Orr. The ARRL low band DX'ing books are a real good place for referance..."

Yes I have that book, will have to read it again its a little bit of a hard read. Understand your concern. Guess I know what I will be reading this weekend. I came here because some of the sites eat your lunch if you ask a question they deem as something you should know already.
Thanks,
Ed
KB3ILN

[WØTKX]

You have to understand my fear...

Understood here, believe me. I actually have come to believe that combative pheromones can be effectively transmitted via RF. Not to mention other electronic methods. :lol:

And yes, some people who get on the air have serious boundary issues. Not funny at all. :evil:

So, KB3LIN is greenline, right? Or did I miss the most important thing in the exchange? :-? Go ahead, ask away...

[greenline]

Yes thats me , guess I should check to see how to just change it.
Ed ,
KB3ILN

[WØTKX]

Change it if you want to, probably not as important, now. Send a PM to any Admin, AD4MG wrote a note in this topic, he's one.

So, nudge nudge... why greenline, a reason/story behind that?

[greenline]

Well I work in the Conservation field . We have a saying that the outdoors in protected by the Thin Green Line. ( not many of us)

[kk7ue]

By all means, ask away! Some of us get bent if a callsign isnt evident. I get that way from time to time too. Dont give up though, just roll with it man :mrgreen: