Hi Grif - This is an interesting idea, but when I try to sketch out the schematic, it looks a little odd to me.
The Par transformer is either a true, flux-coupled transformer with a ground return connecting the ground sides of the primary and secondary windings, or it's an autotransfomer with a similar ground return. The little voltage measurement test I did a few years back doesn't discriminate between the two designs, but it is one or the other. (The case is sealed with epoxy.) The Par is a broadband design, given that there's no capacitor to tune when you change from a half-wave wire at 40m to a half-wave wire at 20m, for example. If you short the primary and connect a counterpose at the rig, you end up with the transformer's secondary in series with the antenna, and with complement current flowing on the counterpose. The problem is that any magnetic flux generated by currents flowing in the secondary induces current in the (former and now shorted) primary where it will be dissipated as heat. I may not be thinking about this correctly - I welcome any critique of this analysis -- but it seems to me you might do better with a non-resonant (say 44-foot) wire connected to the coax connector's center pin and with a 1/4-wave counterpoise connected to coax connector's ground. The latter arrangement should tune well with most simple L network autotuners and might turn out to be more efficient. 73, Ken K3VV _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
