What I would do is this:
Take 204 feet of the stuff and make a doublet - 102' per side - feed it with 450-ohm window line and a balanced tuner. No need to 'cut' anything then and you'll get coverage of all HF bands.
-or-
Take all 900 feet and make a big horizontal loop. Feed with aforementioned window line and tuner...
"Everyone wants to be an AM Gangsta until it's time to start doing AM Gangsta shit."
Doesn't even need to be exactly the same length on either side. An OCF that fits the installation works well, you might have to play games with the feedline length for certain frequency ranges... but compared to an OCF with coax it's not as likely to happen.
Yes, I have a negative attitude about coax, as it needs to be kept in it's proper place(s).
We all have our hangups, eh?
"Where would we be without the agitators of the world to attach the electrodes
of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance?" ~ Professor "Dick" Soloman
Especially if you short all the strands together at both ends of each side. That will have the effect of making it a large-diameter element and increase your bandwidth.Originally Posted by N8YX
All the world’s a stage, but obviously the play is unrehearsed and everybody is ad-libbing his lines. Maybe that’s why it’s hard to tell if we’re living in a tragedy or a farce.
It certainly would lower the resistance, but broadening the bandwidthmight only be noticcable on 10 or 12.
For the lower bands it would hardly be noticable.
The thunderbugle design of the OCF had hoops of 3 to 6 feet to broadband the OCF.... 6 feeet gave more broadbanding of course.
I feed mine with a 1.5 KW 1:6 balun and a 1:1 directly after the 1:6 to keep H.F from the coax if you want to feed it with coax.
If you use ladderline, watch the length, depending on how high etc, you can tinker with the length of the feederline to get the sweetspots right.
A good tuner does the rest, ( LL tuner)
"If the Republicans will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop
telling the truth about them." - Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965)
“I’m not liberal/conservative, I’m anti-idiotarian.”
At some point in the last 20 years, the left moved to the center, and the right moved into a mental institution
It's UV stabilized poly.
When the government's boot is on your throat, whether it is a left boot or a right boot is of no consequence. — GARY LLOYD
The nation we live in is the nation we have built by design, each successive generation raising the wall of tyranny a little higher. - Chris Griffin
The only reason it disuades the horse is cuz it's hooked to a 2kv or higher electric fence charger. Without that being attached, they'll walk right through. Plenty tough enough for an antenna though...just don't pull it too tight, or you'll break the wires without breaking the poly. The only place you might have trouble with is at the ends. Go to the same Tractor Supply and get some of the "hooks" that are used to attach the tape to a "T" post. They're triangular, so you can tie them off with a piece of rope, and they'll keep the tape from bunching up at the end.
Last edited by W5GA; 08-07-2011 at 09:32 PM.
When the government's boot is on your throat, whether it is a left boot or a right boot is of no consequence. — GARY LLOYD
The nation we live in is the nation we have built by design, each successive generation raising the wall of tyranny a little higher. - Chris Griffin
Some folks will get all excited about it being stainless steel and not some super pure form of copper. Don't pay too much attention to them and let them get back to their gold plated RCA connectors on their stereo setup.
I have been using 316 stainless for antenna wire for many years now. Compared to the other losses you may see in an antenna/ feedline system the use of stainless is negligible.
That tape looks like a real interesting product. I may give some of that a try on some of the Beverage antennas I have out there (now THAT is such an efficient antenna! <j/k>).
But...but...your ESSB signals will achieve a fullness and clarity with an oxygen-free copper antenna that is far superior to any other aerial! I read it on the audio forum!
"Everyone wants to be an AM Gangsta until it's time to start doing AM Gangsta shit."
Don't forget to have those connectors sent to Nunavut to be gummed by toothless Inuit women first. It improves the fidelity.
All the world’s a stage, but obviously the play is unrehearsed and everybody is ad-libbing his lines. Maybe that’s why it’s hard to tell if we’re living in a tragedy or a farce.
Awww, 'cmon. Signal to Noise doesn't matter. Keep the preamp on, and NEVER use the attenuator.
"Where would we be without the agitators of the world to attach the electrodes
of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance?" ~ Professor "Dick" Soloman
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote