OK, I boxed myself in with a QRP transmitter-Directional Beam Antenna?

[KK4AMI]

I got my TenTec Argonaut, but 20 Watts SSB ain't gettin' me far. I am going to try digital but I would like to keep SSB and AM viable. The linear RF amp is way in the future so right now I'm looking at the antenna. I (read that wife) doesn't want a tower and yagi in the yard, so I'm stuck with wires in the trees. So I was thinking Vee Beam dipole? I was thinking about a Horizontal Vee Beam. Is it feasible to run two dipoles one N-S and one E-W in a cross shape and connected by insulators in the middle. What I want to do is have 4 legs each about 70 foot long and fed in the middle by two 450 ohm ladder feed lines. Then by picking any two wires from the feed lines, I can have a choice of feeding a N-S 140 ft dipole, an E-W 140 foot dipole or a choice of 1 of 4 seventy foot, 90 degree horizontal vee beams with main lobes going Northeast,Southeast,Southwest, and Northwest and hopefully at least a 3db gain in those directions.

[K7SGJ]

It's amazing what 20 watts or less will do. I used to use a Sears cb I converted to 10 and talked all over the world. Of course, the band was in much better shape. A good comprimise for you and the wife might be a vertical. I've been using a Hygain I've had forever, or so it seems. Since it lacks the 80 meter kit, I use a dipole for 160/80 with good results. At the moment, I am looking at either the Butternut or the Cushcraft mini 5 band mini beam. Although I have lots of room, I don't have lots of $$, and it wouldn't take much of a rotator to spin it. What ever you end up doing, good luck and have fun.

[KK4AMI]

It's amazing what 20 watts or less will do. I used to use a Sears cb I converted to 10 and talked all over the world. Of course, the band was in much better shape. A good comprimise for you and the wife might be a vertical. I've been using a Hygain I've had forever, or so it seems. Since it lacks the 80 meter kit, I use a dipole for 160/80 with good results. At the moment, I am looking at either the Butternut or the Cushcraft mini 5 band mini beam. Although I have lots of room, I don't have lots of $$, and it wouldn't take much of a rotator to spin it. What ever you end up doing, good luck and have fun.

I do have a 102 foot doublet dipole up now, its pretty omni directional like your vertical. The Cushcraft mini beam is kinda expensive for me to. I have the giant trees and space, so I thought I could build the crossed dipoles and get some directionality to throw my meager 20 Watts around.

[WX7P]

What's the wife's problem with a tower?

[K7SGJ]

I do have a 102 foot doublet dipole up now, its pretty omni directional like your vertical. The Cushcraft mini beam is kinda expensive for me to. I have the giant trees and space, so I thought I could build the crossed dipoles and get some directionality to throw my meager 20 Watts around.

Well, wire is relatively cheap. I have miles of 16 awg THHN in the train out back that I've aquired over the years from garage sale and such. I've been using it to add radials to the vertical. I've also been thinking about an OCD or some other wire antennas, too. We have 5 acres to string it out on, but being in the desert, the tallest trees are only about 10 feet, and no help. The inverted vee I have now is strung from a 30' push up mast out to some Palo Verde trees. I guess ya gotta use what ya got. That's why the mini beam is looking good at the moment, if I can get a deal on one or find a used one.

[KK4AMI]

What's the wife's problem with a tower?

Unsightly to her I guess. She doesn't want her view of the mountains blocked.

[WX7P]

Unsightly to her I guess. She doesn't want her view of the mountains blocked.

Really. Put it on the other side of the house!

[KJ3N]

I do have a 102 foot doublet dipole up now, its pretty omni directional like your vertical. The Cushcraft mini beam is kinda expensive for me to. I have the giant trees and space, so I thought I could build the crossed dipoles and get some directionality to throw my meager 20 Watts around.

The first question is, how high is the current antenna?

The second question is, will the new antennas be higher than the current one?

There's nothing wrong with QRP (which is actually 5 watts, if you want to be picky) if you have the right antenna system.

Propagation is the primary factor of success, but the antenna is a very close second.

[KJ3N]

What's the wife's problem with a tower?

Unsightly to her I guess.

Same problem here, but a good number of 60+ foot trees helps a lot. ;)

[K7SGJ]

Unsightly to her I guess. She doesn't want her view of the mountains blocked.

If you do it right, you can tell her it's the latest clothesline that utilizes solar energy for drying, and RF energy for for neutralization of bacteria and cooties.