Been surveying the new digs and am thinking of setting up a ham shack in the garage or up in the loft in the bedroom.
Been looking at running a simple dipole, but those darn power lines look like they are going to get in the way of that plan. So I am probably going to go with a vertical.
I have only run wire in the past, so verticals are new territory for me. Anyone use a particular model or home brew that works well? Looking to operate 10-80 meters.
"The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it." - George Orwell
Hustler 6BTV.
Get the base elevated to around 30ft, use four tuned radials per band and you'll like the results.
"Everyone wants to be an AM Gangsta until it's time to start doing AM Gangsta shit."
Butternut HF-6 or HF-9.Originally Posted by N8YX
Elevate to 10-15 feet. Use 2 tuned radials per band. Instructions included with the Butternut is a method to use 300 twin lead to make a 4-band radial.
Less work and you can use the antenna with a tuner outside the 2:1 SWR points. If you try that with the BTV, expect to pop the traps, even with 100 watts.
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I've put over a kilowatt through mine outside the 2:1 points and they still work.
"Everyone wants to be an AM Gangsta until it's time to start doing AM Gangsta shit."
Butternuts work well for friends of mine, some run high power, all move around with a tuner. I also recommend Butternuts, unless you want to home brew. Have an HF2V with the 160 meter kit, (cheap used one) that I hope to have up for winter. 160/80/40. Have a Gap Titan, got it cheap... it's pretty decent on 30 meters and up, OK on 40, and a mildly radiating dummy load on 80. The 80 meter doublet works the low bands better.
Home brew example, informative site. He later upgraded to an SGC autotuner at the base. If you have a lot of wire, start laying radials down now.
How is the soil conductivity in your yard? Mine is poor, it changes the strategy... so I might do this: http://www.sherweng.com/documents/GroundScreen-sm.pdf
"Where would we be without the agitators of the world to attach the electrodes
of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance?" ~ Professor "Dick" Soloman
Soil up here is highly mineralized.
I can mount on the roof which is some 20 feet or so up. I really need to measure the place and see how much room I have and if it would be possible to use a G5RV or similar without getting near the power lines. This is an older neighborhood and the power is still up on poles rather than buried. Plus having power lines above ground has obvious advantages during the winter months. Saves the company time not having to thaw the ground.
A vertical would really be easier than fussing with the power lines.....
"The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it." - George Orwell
I'd stick with the vertical, most of the world is DX for you. How's the ground clutter?
"Where would we be without the agitators of the world to attach the electrodes
of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance?" ~ Professor "Dick" Soloman
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