The evolution of an antenna...

[W3MIV]

Mr. Maxwell's observations regarding transmission-line radiation, balanced feedline and a load which is much shorter than an electrical 1/2 wavelength are in error - the underlying physics having been substantiated by myself and a couple other ham/RF engineer friends. Given the fact that no one dares piss on "their golden boy" these days, I will refrain from replying to select comments by Walt in a number of threads. Some of which even witnessed 'GQ getting the answer correct but nevertheless being "silverbacked" off to the sidelines ... :roll:

While I don't intend to get into a major argument, I have used Maxwell's 90'-100' dipole fed with 300Ω window line cut to minimum dimension needed to fit the site and it has worked for me on 80 precisely as he indicated it would. I confess that I have neither the background nor the equipment to make sophisticated analyses of his work, but the practical results I have obtained verify his recommendation. Forgive my bluntness, but I shall stick with him.

[N8YX]

While I don't intend to get into a major argument, I have used Maxwell's 90'-100' dipole fed with 300Ω window line cut to minimum dimension needed to fit the site and it has worked for me on 80 precisely as he indicated it would. I confess that I have neither the background nor the equipment to make sophisticated analyses of his work, but the practical results I have obtained verify his recommendation. Forgive my bluntness, but I shall stick with him.

Which it will, because the radiator in question isn't substantially shorter that a half wavelength at the desired frequency. Now try that trick with, say, a 50-foot (overall) dipole and it'll still work after a fashion...but...at 'low' (3-4 MHz and below) frequencies, the feedline will comprise part of the antenna. This is the point of contention I speak of - Maxwell claims the feedline won't radiate under such conditions and a number of folks (including myself) opine that it will...