Topband: Inverted L - I surrender

I'm going to take the antenna back down tomorrow, test to be sure that there's nothing freaky like a break in the wire, and then take it and my K9AY loop in for the season.  Mowing starts in another few weeks and I'd just as soon roll up my radials for another day.  In the meantime I'll rewind

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

Agreed.  Trying to run something this complicated with three push buttons is a nightmare. Every time I use it I have to read the manual for 30 minutes.  But I'm not too pleased with the RigExpert UI either. Plus their software is buggy.  The original version tacks on a nonsense data point so if

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

Jim, our Mothers love us no matter how inelegant the interface. From: Topband on behalf of Jim Brown Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2021 5:29:45 PM To: topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions On 3/25/2021 4:45 PM, Wes wrote:

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

On 3/25/2021 4:45 PM, Wes wrote: The FA-VA5 is the only VIA, out of 5, that I have that I can read in sunlight. Yes, that's a very nice unit, although not even the programmer's mother could like the UI. :) 73, Jim K9YC _ Searchable Archives:

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

Exactly. Pete, #31 mix is very important. Jim knows what he's talking about! :-) 73, Mike W0BTU https://web.archive.org/web/20180815141931/http://w0btu.com/160_meters.html On Thu, Mar 25, 2021, 2:09 PM Jim Brown wrote: > On 3/25/2021 11:39 AM, N4ZR wrote: > > The feedpoint choke is wound on a

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

Pete, I was going to suggest possible interference to your measurement by a local BC station.  I have a couple of very strong stations near me, one on 1550 kHz running 50KW. They are about -3 dBm on my 160 inverted-L.  But I just finished looking at my antenna with my AA-55 Zoom and I saw no

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

On 3/25/2021 12:56 PM, N4ZR wrote: Jim, ignorant question - at X=0, isn't the resistive component also the impedance? It's the feedpoint impedance, but I suspect something flaky with your measurement, which is why I suggested a sweep and displaying R and X. 73, Jim _

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

Lets get a bit more elementary - are you sure that wire has DC continuity end to end when its up and tensioned ??? I once bought a roll of wire from HD that had a gap of about an inch in it Maybe your wire is not all connected -that would move the ant up in freq from where you expect. If

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

Jim, ignorant question - at X=0, isn't the resistive component also the impedance? 73, Pete N4ZR Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network web server at . For spots, please use your favorite "retail" DX cluster. On 3/25/2021 3:08 PM, Jim Brown wrote: On 3/25/2021

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

On 3/25/2021 11:39 AM, N4ZR wrote: Thanks to everyone who has replied so far, and apologies - I did a lousy job of describing the antenna.  First off - I set out to make it 1/4 wave (approximately 128 feet) long, and the starting length of wire (what I actually put up) was 140 feet.  

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

On 3/25/2021 11:39 AM, N4ZR wrote: The feedpoint choke is wound on a #43 core (I think), which may make it a bit more credible. Very wrong core for HF and 6M. #31 is the only good choice. The measured minimum SWR is 2.2 at 1925 KHz, and resonance (X crossing zero) is at 1983 KHz.  All

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far, and apologies - I did a lousy job of describing the antenna.  First off - I set out to make it 1/4 wave (approximately 128 feet) long, and the starting length of wire (what I actually put up) was 140 feet.   Vertical portion is about 55 feet, and the

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

On 3/25/2021 8:07 AM, N4ZR wrote: My feedpoint arrangement has 17 turns of RG-400 as a common mode choke, with the radial field connected to the RG-400 shield at the antenna end. Hi Pete, I hope those 17 turns are wound around a #31 Fair-Rite core. > I connected the radial field (8 X 70-foot

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

Technically the insulation should electrically lengthen the antenna about 1.5-2 % (lower the frequency) As Wes said the dimensions would be helpful. is the flat op horizontal or does it slope down if it slopes how low is the far end? I dont think 17 turns of RG400 is doing much for you on

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

Where do you get the 35'? Wes  N7WS On 3/25/2021 9:08 AM, Dave Cuthbert wrote: An EZNEC model of your antenna (height of 35') shows it to be resonant at 1865 kHz. The minimum SWR was adjusted to 2:1 by adding GND loss of 8 ohms. SWR is all you need to tune the antenna. Is minimum SWR at 1977

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

An EZNEC model of your antenna (height of 35') shows it to be resonant at 1865 kHz. The minimum SWR was adjusted to 2:1 by adding GND loss of 8 ohms. SWR is all you need to tune the antenna. Is minimum SWR at 1977 kHz? I would add more wire and tune the length for minimum SWR at your frequency

Re: Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

How long is the vertical section?  The insulation should have minimal effect. Wes  N7WS On 3/25/2021 8:07 AM, N4ZR wrote: I have been trying to replace my inverted L, which broke a few weeks ago, and am having all sorts of puzzlements. Please be kind - I was a history major. 1.  The

Topband: Elementary Inverted L questions

I have been trying to replace my inverted L, which broke a few weeks ago, and am having all sorts of puzzlements. Please be kind - I was a history major. 1.  The inverted L broke at the turn, so I went looking for sturdier wire.  I wound up with some #14 insulated recommended by our local RF

Topband: Ground Radial question - Perimeter connections

Hello Topbanders Another question for the experts... When installing ground radials on a ground mounted vertical, how critical is it to connect those radials together at the far ends? Some technical references show the outer tips of the ground radials connected with what they call 'perimeter