[ADXA] The most puzzling antenna, and more drivel.

[rcurt at centurytel.net]

After destroying the antenna garden (too little to be a farm), I felt the need to try something different.

The 160 meter inverted L went back up just after the incident so I could get back on the air.  It has been decent, even with the entire radial field coiled up around the feed point.

The original loop that got torn down was a ladder line fed 80-meter horizontal loop which worked decently on 80-10, and was a nice addition to the inverted L, being able to switch between vertical and horizontal polarization.

Discarding the thought of using "AI", to design the antenna, I chose to go with the old proven method of "NI" (No Intelligence) and just wing it. I ended up with 320 feet of wire in a vertical trapezoid shape, fed at the NE bottom corner with ladder line.

The results have been puzzling. Short term testing has indicated that I have inadvertently created a decent antenna on 80-30 and a dummy load on 20-10.  It seems to have some directivity and Eddy over in Vietnam was worked on 30 as well has having several good signals into that area from Pskreporter.  It appears that I will need to try again on this antenna.

In other antenna news, a 1296mhz yagi is under construction. I have built antennas since 1974 and using a micrometer and file to measure and adjust element lengths is uncharted territory for me but seems to be working ok. I was afraid it wasn't going to work out, so I tried tuning it up with 6 elements, and things worked out seemingly well. The end configuration will have 41 elements. I am shooting to have this semi-operational so I can listen for a signal off the "big ole moon" this weekend. I hope the 9700 aka "Drifty Too" will stay home and not be running around during prime time.

Yes, you rightly have the right to criticize my expertise in antenna building.  What I lack in expertise, I attempt to make up in the want to. My most extreme example of this was a few years ago, being home bound, with an IV for several weeks, I built a 5 element yagi for 2 meters in the kitchen floor, so I would be able to "kerchunk" the Memphis repeaters with my Baofeng. After finishing the antenna, I zip tied it to my IV pole and became a mobile station.  Memphis repeaters were occasionally reached, but it was not an everyday occurrence.  I feel if I would have been taller than my 4foot 22inch stature and needing a taller IV pole, reaching the Memphis repeater would have been easier.  I was disappointed, so I built a 70 cm yagi to pair with the 2-meter yagi, and worked satellites via IV pole mobile. This worked out quite well, except I didn't have enough hands to wave the antennas around, key the radio, and log contacts while dealing with an IV pole.

Everyone have a great day, and just remember if you took the time to read all of this, you have probably missed some great DX!

Randy/W5ZJ





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