The antenna is a "horse fence" antenna. Google it. 15+ strands of #30 stainless wire, separated from each other and woven into a 1.5" wide strip of plastic webbing....like a folding beach chair web.
So I was looking for the magic that was claimed. After all y'alls comments, one on one discussions and revisiting the web sites marketing material and youtube videos, I certainly did not find it.. In the end, the multiple wires provide only a wider useable bandwidth on 80 meters. Other bands too but 80 is the bandwidth eater. No other normal antenna attributes are affected. The you tube video shows the antenna as a mutiple band 80, 40, 20, 10 antenna and after listening to the video a few times it is only by the use of an in shack ATU (tuner) that you get "flat" SWR on 40 and 20. (That is another sore subject with me, but later). 80 meters, the fundamental band of resonance, requires no matching network, just like a normal, single wire 1/2 wl dipole. The useable 3:1 SWR bandwidth on 80 is pretty good at about 200 KHz...maybe a bit more depending on how high you put it up. A single wire dipole bandwidth is around 50 to 75 KHz 3:1 swr if you're lucky. So, in NEC modeling this antenna I did a bandwidth comparative model for a single wire and found that a single, copper wire antenna had to have a wire diameter of about 4 inches to have the similar bandwidth result. Of course, there is no wire 4" in diameter available at Home Depot, so a multi-wire "Cage" dipole, as a few had mentioned, is the way to go for equivalence. I guess the benefit of the Horse Feather antenna is that it is a single 1.5" wide material that is easily deployed. No putzing around with 15 individual wires, just one interwoven web deployment on each side of the dipole. If this is something you think you can use......go to http://kf4bwg.com/ Horse Fence Antenna or if you wish to build it yourself....material etc. can be had at https://www.statelinetack.com/item/safe-fence-1-1-2in-wide-poly-tape-200-ft/SLT700567/ Fencing material. They also have the end, wire connection clamps I appreciate all that chimed in to set me straight. Kurt Sterba in World Radio Magazine years ago used to write a column debunking the claims of the fly by night antenna manufacturers. I wish he were still around so he could comment on this horse feather antenna. Also, e-ham has a few differing reviews posted. TNX ES 73.....Rick -- W5RH Rick Hiller *e-mail: [email protected] <[email protected]>*
________________________________________________ Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club Get on the air - 146.94 Repeater Volunteer now for the Houston Hamfest BVARC mailing list [email protected] http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org
