Hi Herb, Niko: > could be that it is too long for 40. This is just a >gut reaction as I have not come up with any reason. Of course it is too long. Beverage said that when it is too long there are so many lobes (and therefore nulls) that it is 50-50 that a given direction will not be covered; that velocity factor may antiphase a given frequency at the transformer; that the extra lobes pick up more QRM/QRN; that "for amateur purposes" (not point-to-point) one wavelength or so is optimum; if you don't know the exact direction the signal will come from then with more wavelengths of wire you are in the lap of the gods and Murphy, so sometimes it will serve your purpose and sometimes it will not. Bob VE7BS
_______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK