Skip,
Great idea for an antenna. I gotta try that one sometime.
Kurt N. Sterba was correct. Textbook antennas aren't always
possible, or even needed. If the situation is difficult, any radiator is
better than none. However, hams in general are anal animals on the
subject of antennas. My attitude has always been what's a db or two
among friends, and quite often that is the number we are sweating. But,
if you can't make it exactly like Kraus writes, get as close as you can
and let your antenna tuner worry about the match and don't think about
that extra db.
73,
Barry
K3NDM
------ Original Message ------
From: "Fred Jensen" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: 1/29/2017 6:10:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"
N6BT famously set up a "phased array" of 3 light bulbs in a V-beam
configuration and achieved WAC. He called it "The Illuminator." Kurt
N. Sterba [a regular in the old WorldRadio] is correct, the power will
go somewhere. My home antenna is a 136' wire strung along the wood
fence on electric fence insulators. Fed at the end, no overt
counterpoise [the outside of the coax shield handles that]. Not spec'd
for 160 but the KAT3 matches it fine. Invisible to HOA. NVIS on 160
and 80, semi-NVIS on 40.
One thing to remember: feeding electrically long wires results in
complicated radiation patterns. The higher in frequency you go, the
more it's going to squirt your RF in different directions, not all of
which point at the DX. But, mine works very well considering it's
about 1.8 m off the ground.
73,
Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County
On 1/29/2017 10:26 AM, Barry wrote:
Wayne,
I know what you are saying and agree. In very simple terms, if you
can load it, it will radiate. That was a position that a writer with
the nom de plume of Kurt N Sterba too in a book he wrote. By the
physical law of conservation of energy, it all has to go somewhere.
And, that could be heat or radiation. In his book he claims to have
loaded a shopping cart and talked to people.
Yes, you can do these things as long as you make good connections
and the tuners can handle it. All of the discussion is how to pick a
length that the tuner will accept. Once there, physics takes over. And
just to prove my point, and yours, I just worked the CQ 160 CW
contest. My antenna was a vertical 20 meter dipole center fed with
open wire. My radio is a K3s. I worked across this country, Canada,
and some DX with this 33' wire antenna that by all rights should have
been over 200'. I would have done better, but my local power company
added another handicap, line noise. Bottom line: Throw some wire up
and see if it can be loaded. If yes, go for it.
73,
Barry
K3NDM
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