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View Full Version : My Homebrew Antenna Works........



koØm
07-29-2011, 04:17 PM
I am desperate for info, I also posted this question somewhere else.

....But I'm wondering why and, how to make it better.

I've got what could be considered a Horizontal OCF Dipole in a "V" configuration between 35 and 40 feet high. It is being fed with a short piece of 300 ohm flat line. In between the radio and the Dentron Super Tuner is an accurate directional Watt / SWR meter (Yaesu YS-60).

Coming out of the tuner, one end of the antenna is horizontal running East and west and is about 40 foot long while, the other end come away from the tuner vertically, goes up 5 feet, then travels another 20 feet or so South forming a 90 degree angle.

The Dentron tuner is able to 'make' the SWR meter in the radio (IC-706MKIIG) happy as well as simultaneously making the YS-60 read a minimum of reflected power and low SWR. I have not had a problem making contacts.

The only problems is when it rains, 40 Meters gets "Hinky" to tune, I can tune any other band 10-80 all the time but, 40 will not tune until the weather has dried up the roof. When 40 Meters is screwing up, it seems to be being affected by the inter-station coax wiring; when the "Match" is bad outside, the "Match" (how the YS-60 reads) is different.

So, the question: "Horizontal V" 40 foot up with random length legs forming a 90 degree angle is going to perform how and in what best direction?

BTW: WARC Bands and 11 Meters cannot be bought closer than 2.0 to 1 by the dentron.

KG4CGC
07-29-2011, 04:29 PM
An afterthought now.
I seal open contacts and wire so that the moisture cannot form a conductive bridge across a short. I happen to be a fan of fully insulated wire. Black and green insulation blends into the environment better as well. The brown of the window line can be painted in blotches before install, like camo blotches. TV twinlead, I don't even bother unless I want it to match a wall or whatever.

So there are my thoughts. Bare wire gets sealed for water and ice.

KC2UGV
07-29-2011, 05:19 PM
Wet ladder line will change it's impedance...

KG4CGC
07-29-2011, 05:20 PM
Wet ladder line will change it's impedance...
Not on my watch!

NQ6U
07-29-2011, 07:04 PM
Not on my watch!

See other thread, r.e.: beaver.

W7XF
08-04-2011, 11:39 PM
Or refer to NX6D's sig picture....perfect application of a cat's whisker :lol: