[Antennas] Inverted "L"

[Jim Isbell]

Might have something to do with the fact the vertical portion is only 
26' and the horizontal portion is 70'  Cant get any higher.  But it 
works great, tonight I worked Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Missouri from 
the Texas Gulf Coast with 100 watts on 40 meters.  Note that all those 
stations are to the side of my NW/SE oriented horizontal section.  Last 
night I worked a mobile in Southern Mexico.  Heard, but barely, stations 
in Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming...all to the end of the horizontal 
section.  

I used some antenna modeling software and it confirmed the 
directionality of my set up.

I have, since asking the question, put a dual antenna system, one driven 
and one open, into the antenna modeling software and it confirms that my 
idea will work but that it puts a 10 degree skew into the pattern off 
the side of the horizontal section.  Its not 90 degrees to the side of 
the wire, but 80/260 off the side.  But both are skewed so its still a 
90 degree relationship between the two antennas.  Apparently, according 
to the software, with the vertical wires just 10" apart, BOTH antennas 
radiate even though only one is being driven.  Probably a capacitive 
coupling between the two vertical sections.

Harvey&Bessie wrote:

>Only if it is tuned to resonance on the frequency in use by the "active" antenna. But I
>don't understand how your inverted L can be directional broadside to the flattop. It must
>be caused by some of the local objects in the near field of the antenna. And if so
>erecting another in the same site might not change the pattern. The usual directivity of
>the inverted L is toward the end that has the vertical portion!
>Harvey/W4TG
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