Dan Pritchard wrote: >>How long of a tube did you use for shield leg?
After rereading your question, I think I answered the wrong question...or you may asked the wrong question...or both. Although the shield can be used as one of the legs, I chose to use the copper tape, which has more surface area and is lighter...higher efficiency to weight ratio, and the tape is more likely to remain a fixed length than twisted-up coax shielding. I think the photo at the top of http://www.n56ml.com/antennas.html may not be as clear as I'd thought. The coax shield is soldered to the vertical stab tape, and the center conductor runs over to the arrow shaft and is soldered to the end of another coper tape rolled up and slid down the arrow shaft. I guess it helps to know how I built it. "True coax dipoles" are dirt simple to make. I've made several of them for FM radio reception (my first was when I was probably 14 or so). See http://www.nsw.wicen.org.au/technical/projects/coaxial-folded-dipole-antenna for a neat calculator that lets you optimize dimensions for a particular frequency, using different types of coax (impedance changes the tuning specs). So you can make one out of left over coax of just about any description... Mark Langford, Harvest, AL ML at N56ML.com www.N56ML.com
