[Antennas] Random Antenna Question

[BrRonK777@aol.com]

Well,

IMHO, a dipole is an antenna configured for a specific wavelength. Both sides 
are the same length, hence Dipole.

I once made one up with one side cut for forty and the other for twenty, but, 
I wouldn't call it a dipole. More like to inverted els on a single twin feed 
line.

The twenty meter operation was pretty good because it was cut for frequency 
and I guess the forty meter section offered a match somewhere along its' 
length. However, on forty, it didn't work worth a hoot until I decided to try 
it as a vertical by adding some radials and working it against them, with the 
horizontal section working as a capacity hat.

Nossir, a person usually thinks of a dipole as a half wave antenna with both 
sides cut to frequency by formula, and then, if necessary, pruned to a proper 
length to make up for such things as height above true ground and any other 
objects which might affect resonance. I, myself, prefer to leave it at the 
formula length and tune it by other means, including, if necessary, a good 
tuner. That isn't to say that a dipole couldn't be multiples of multiple 
wavelengths either. Eighty mtr dipoles work like gangbusters on twenty.

I have had excellent results with a 75 mtr dipole on all bands with a tuner. 
And even on 160 mtrs, with the feed line tied together and working against 
some surface radials.

Do other antennas work better? You bet your booties they do, but, when you 
can't put 'em up, you kinda got to use what you've got.

My old 3/8th wave length 160 mtr inverted el was a great antenna on all bands 
through ten, but, it's gone now.

It somehow grieves me to see magazine articles on how to build antennas most 
of us can never put up. 

You don't see many articles on random wires, or, long wires which must be 
bent around and wrapped around. But they do work, well enough to get a guy on 
the air. I've used them often. Especially when the band is open I've 
sometimes received reports of the loudest signal on the band. (Yes, that was 
with a Heathkit SB220 amp.)

I used to run a home brew ten meter transmitter (AM) with clamp tube, or, 
Heising modulation and from my QTH in LA, using a simple ground plane 
antenna, I worked into Long Island, New York with "phone patch quality" and 
running a mere 2.7/8 watts (yes, less than 3). I also worked Australia with 
the same setup when the band was open in the early '50s.

I also ran a Ranger from Alaska during the earthquake with 65 watts and a 3 
element beam at 71 feet and worked almost every state in the union in three 
days. It's amazing how well weak SIGs can be copied when people want to 
communicate. And it was all well documented by the ARRL.

Boy, that's some soap box, huh? Well, time to get off now.

Cheerio es 73 de Ron K  -- W1ARS

 FISTS, #5768; S.O.W.P, #5676-V; QCWA, #29671; Top Band,#1468


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