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Re: Less Than Perfect Antennas [was Flumoxed]

Posted by N4ZR on Dec 07, 2018; 9:23pm
URL: http://elecraft.85.s1.nabble.com/Flumoxed-tp7646765p7646923.html

 From forty till twenty or so years ago, I lived in a suburban
townhouse, with no antennas allowed.  My solution then was a 40-meter
inverted vee with fanned 20 and 10-meter elements, and W9INN coils on
the end of the 40M elements to give me 80M.  I was working on 5B DXCC in
those days, and eventually concluded the 80-meter side wasn't good
enough, so I threw a 280-foot vertical wire loop up in the trees out
back, fed through open wire line and a 4:1 balun. Finished the 80M part
in just a few months

When I moved here I had plenty of space, but not much time, so I threw
up a Carolina Windom antenna at only about 35 feet.  Darned thing works
so well, despite a site that is in a river valley with higher terrain on
all sides, that I'm keeping it. Worked 92 countries during CQWW in about
6 hours on 40 meters, with ~900 watts

73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the Reverse Beacon Network
at <http://reversebeacon.net>, now
spotting RTTY activity worldwide.
For spots, please use your favorite
"retail" DX cluster.

On 12/5/2018 7:42 PM, Fred Jensen wrote:

> It seems these days that the "Amateur media," which includes all of us
> conversing on the air or via email lists, tends to dismiss LTPA [less
> than perfect antennas] which may be discouraging some Technicians from
> trying out their HF allocations on 10, 15, 40, and 80.  Hard core
> DX'ers and contesters will scoff at a BWD-90 or my end-fed 80-10 at 6
> ft on the wooden fence, and I don't intend to make the Honor Roll with
> it, but antennas don't need to be perfect to work and even work well. 
> I snagged VP6D on 40, 30, 20, and 17 CW with 100 W to my WOOF [Wire On
> Organic Fence] and it was easy.  The SOTA folk don't buy a tower, they
> just hike up a mountain.  I worked two DL's in a row on 15 CW a couple
> years ago from W5N/RO-015 in SE NM with 10 W from my K2 into an
> Alexloop over my head.
>
> If we want younger people to try out HF, we need to assure them that
> they don't have to spend a year's take-home pay to get on and have
> fun.  Wayne has been relating some of his QRP-ish field adventures
> which is really great.  Full Disclosure: I'm part of the W7RN crew and
> have remote access to the two remote K3/KPA1500 combos and 23 antenna
> selections [last count [:-) w7rn.com] including a 3-el 80 yagi at 175
> ft.  Most of the time however, my K3/WOOF serves my needs which leaves
> the remotes to those on the crew who have no other option.  RF current
> into a conductor will radiate, even if it's at eye level.
>
> 73,
> Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
> Sparks NV DM09dn
> Washoe County
>
> On 12/5/2018 3:31 PM, Dave Cole (NK7Z) wrote:
>> I have one of the BWD-90 antennas up now, (at 25 feet), and use it
>> for local contacts on HF daily...
>>
>> DX is the vertical, soon to be a beam at 55 feet....  I also use the
>> BWD-90 for all the WARC bands, save 30, which is the vertical.
>>
>> I also have a new in the box BWD-90, (copper version, not the steel
>> version), as well...
>>
>> Works well with a K3, as the rig is atmospheric noise limited.
>>
>> 73s and thanks,
>> Dave (NK7Z/NNR0DC)
>> https://www.nk7z.net
>> ARRL Technical Specialist
>> ARRL Volunteer Examiner
>> ARRL OOC for Oregon
>
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