"I guess the way to deal with it is to add more tuned
radials in parallel and a switchable base network, but
I would like to avoid any more control wires that have
to go through my lightning suppression panel (I can't
pass DC through the coax, either). Does anyone have
any suggestions?"
* * *
Vic
You have received several comments that are on the
right track. Adding in a latching relay at the top of
your vertical, to connect either a capacity hat or a
horizontal element, is the way to go. Personally I'd
go for the capacity hat, and maybe I'd even try and
see if I could skip the relay! EZNEC is your friend.
But I digress.
You can further your simplification by using a Part 15
RF remote trigger for the relay, assuming your antenna
is closer than, say, 350 feet. "Look Ma, no wires!"
I too cannot run DC through many of my hardline feeds
because the PolyPhasers block it.
Assuming your vertical is both hollow and at DC
ground, simply run a single conductor up the center to
fire the relay, with the return through the element.
Power can be derived from a small gel cell and a tiny
solar panel / charger, located at the antenna. The
RX does not have to be fancy ... look at the TX and RX
modules here:
http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=TX433and the latching relay, as we Elecrafters know, draws
no power except when switching. Your limitations are
physical: the relay needs to handle the current and
voltage at that point, and therefore the size / mass
of packaging is the only real challenge, to my mind.
If your setup must be able to go QRO, then some math
is in order.
73 gl Steve KZ1X/4
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