When I was a newlywed in 1975 and lived in a downstairs apartment of a two story house, I put up a quarterwave wire that started at ground level, never got over 20 feet high, zig zagged around the yard from tree to tree. I think I drove in a short piece of aluminum tubing for a ground connection. Drake T-4XB and R-4B, about 150 watts. One magical night around this time of year, the band opened up and I worked several Europeans who were all over S9 on the meter. You never know.
Stan, K5GO On Mon, Dec 17, 2018 at 8:47 AM K4SAV <[email protected]> wrote: > Joe said > "You want to get on 160, but do not have an actual 160 antenna. So you > connect the largest antenna ya have, usually a 80 meter dipole, but you > just push the connector in just so only the center pin is touching, and > load the whole thing up like a top capacity hat, vertical, or end fed > long wire. Hey it works. " > > Back many years ago I did the same thing. Well, I knew better but I had > this flash of stupidity overcome me and I wanted to use it while it was > fresh. I blew out all the horizontal drivers in the big projection TV set. > > Jerry, K4SAV > > > On 12/17/2018 8:31 AM, Joe wrote: > > OK, as users of this band, we all have probably done this at least > > once in your radio lifetime. > > > > You want to get on 160, but do not have an actual 160 antenna. So you > > connect the largest antenna ya have, usually a 80 meter dipole, but > > you just push the connector in just so only the center pin is > > touching, and load the whole thing up like a top capacity hat, > > vertical, or end fed long wire. Hey it works. > > > > I'm thinking of doing something similar, because a full sized 1/4 wave > > elevated vertical for 40 meters, works as well as a cannenna does when > > trying to use it on 160. > > > > But I never thought of what might be the best way to do this. The > > antenna as stated is a full sized 1/4 wave elevated Vertical, The > > base of the vertical is 10 feet above the ground with sloping radials > > that act as guy wires also to hold the base in place. > > > > At the base of the antenna right at the feedpoint, is a large multi > > turn coax choke. ( Ya know the so many turns on a PVC pipe thing ) > > > > The feedline is then ran through the air for about 60 feet to the eve > > of the house where it runs along the eve of the house on 2 sides and > > finally into the shack. Total length is about 100 feet. > > > > Now I am trying to decide without actually trying to make up > > connectors or whatever, what might be the best way to use this on 160. > > > > 1- As described above just the center pin, touching. I guess with the > > braid floating the braid gets capacitivly coupled to the power and > > does the radiating and receiving. YES? NO? > > > > BUT I can see the RF actually also going and using the existing > > vertical because of the touching center pin. BUT, the braid signal, > > I'm assuming the RF is not getting past the Coax coil and using the > > radials. > > > > 2- Apply power to only the braid? similiar to #1 but backwards. again > > no power to the radials probably?, and only cap coupled to the vertical. > > > > 3- short the center and shield together and run it that way. > > > > Anyone have any thoughts of the best configuration any thoughts? > > > > Or how would a end fed random wire like 1/4 wave long about 10 feet up > > work better? > > > > Joe WB9SBD > > _________________ > > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > > Reflector > > _________________ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector > _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
