[Antennas] Antenna Balls

Mon, 23 Jun 2003 17:12:53 -0700

I just glued a wood ball on the end of my N7LYY Screwdriver HF mobile, just
"cuz..   makes it more better looking..    I acutually have a nice metal
ball to put there when I get through "tuning and pruning  NOW .. getting
back to reality .. the reason for the metal balls on the tips of mobile
(and, verticals .. IE, Hustler 4/5BTV) is that it dissapates the static, and
high voltage RF "more better".  Wanna see an example?  Grind the tip of your
mobile aerial to a point, then run a few hundred watts, expecially on a
foggy foggy night ..    bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt.....  "Been there, done THAT" // //
// Also, kinda keeps the end of the whip from putting someone's eye out!
73 --- Mark

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim" <[email protected]>
To: "Antennas" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 5:02 PM
Subject: [Antennas] Antenna Balls

> Someone asked me today "What is the purpose of the little ball at the end
of
> a mobile antenna? Someone told me that if I cut it off to tune my antenna
I
> will ruin the antenna."
>
> As embarrassing as it is the only answer I could give was "Well I see no
> reason why you cannot cut off the ball to tune the antenna and the only
> reason I know of that the ball is there is for static dissipation/control
> and improve the antenna
> efficiency by not ending the antenna in an abrupt point"
>
> I have never really questioned it so I really was not prepared to answer
the
> question with any authority, but I said I would try to find an answer.
>
> You Gurus of the Radiant arts help me out here.
>
> - - -
>
> Your moderator for this list is:
> Larry Wilson KE1HZ [email protected]
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