[Antennas] New multiband Antenna

[Durwydd MacTara]

MAGIC WIRES
(The Quest for the "ultimate" Multiband Antenna)

In a web search for antenna ideas, I discovered 
http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ebwild/current.html  and immediately decided to 
build the antenna illustrated there.  I put it up at 42 feet and was 
ecstatic, until the first rainstorm (a frequent occurrence here in swampeast 
Missouri). I then discovered that the 450 Ohm ladder line was unstable in 
the rain. Since open wire feed line is not susceptible to this effect, the 
solution was (to me) obvious! I then found that open wire 450 ohm feed line 
was VERY hard to come by  and I needed to "roll my own."  I was complaining 
on a 75M ragchew, when it was pointed out to me that the impedance was of 
minimal importance in this application.  I tried  rolling my own open wire 
feed wire line built from #14 stranded wire and 1/2 "cpvc pipe . the result 
worked even better than the original!

I tried several different Baluns, and found no difference in their 
effectiveness in keeping "skin effect" RF out of the coax to my remote 
switch  out in the middle of my "antenna farm," and eventually settled on 
the fine Bead Baluns from Palomar Engineers.


Two other versions tried:

1. #16 copperweld wire. NOT recommended, too hard to work with!
2. #18 silver plated stranded, teflon insulated aircraft wire from an 
auction. With pieces cut from plastic coat hangers for spacers.  Easiest and 
cheapest to build. Lightweight and flexible. Pretty much ideal for field day 
use. But I am not sure about how well it will stand up to high winds.

All versions work well both QRP and at 100 Watts with Kenwood 830 and  
AT-200 tuner.

Anyone have suggestions/Improveents?




  "Communications" is a People skill, the rest is technology.
             Durwydd MacTara

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