[30m] Screwdriver antenna problem

[Karl Larsen]

   Chris Kantarjiev wrote:

    Nope. You have no ground. I suggest you run 4 wires about 32 feet 
long from the ground side of your coax connector on the antenna. Then 
try it again. I bet it works a lot better.
    

Even two will do the job.

        Disagree.  I think 4 is not good but a whole lot better than zero
   :-)

 Use your antenna analyzer to tune them
as you would a dipole for your center frequency on 30m, then hook
them to the ground side of your antenna and retune.
  

        Waste  of time. Around 32 feet is close enough for wire laying on
   the ground or underground a few inches.

Remember that the hallmark of a properly functioning vertical is narrow
bandwidth! You should see a moderately sharp drop in SWR at your
tuned frequency, not a broad flat curve.

  

        I  have  another  model of screwdriver tuned vertical on my Dodge
   Durango  and it has a MFJ power meter right at the rig and I key up 10
   watts and see a 100:1 SWR and run the coil up or down and suddenly the
   SWR  changes to a lower value. I stop running the motor and just pulse
   it  and  watch  the  SWR  go down and start back up. The the other way
   until it's perfect. The ground for this antenna is the truck.
   73 Karl

73 de chris K6DBG