Three Part Copper J Pole Question.

[K9CCH]

Here's how I do it:

Get yourself four 1/2" copper pipe clamps. Flatten two of them in a vice, then drill a third hole in them using the unflattened ones as a guide. Use brass screws and nuts to bolt the clamps to the antenna and tuning stub tight enough to keep them from sliding down but not so tight that you can't move them. Bolt or solder the base of a SO-259 to one clamp, then run a length of 14 AWG solid copper wire from the center conductor pin to the other and solder it. Adjust the assembly up and down until you reach minimum SWR, then tighten the screws. Ideally, you should solder the clamps in place to the antenna but I never do and haven't run into any trouble so far..

Thats EXACTLY what I was planning on doing. I just didn't know if regular multi strand wire would work, or if I needed the solid stuff.

As far as the grounding goes, j-poles are supposed to be connected to a DC ground. For reasons that I am unable to fathom, though, mine always seem to work better when they're mounted on a non-conductive mast and grounded with a wire or strap. YMMV on that one, of course.

That's what I was thinking I'd put the length of wooden down in there for. Or PVC, one or the other. I just didn't know if it was safer to KEEP the ground, or remove it.