[Antennas] Problem Installation

[Tony Martin W4FOA]

David,
I'm not your "technical answer man" but I can tell you what I would try, 
given the information you have provided.

Taking advantage of the 50 foot tower and the remote switching device at the 
base of the tower, all you would need is approximately 195 feet of wire and 
enough 50 ohm coax to run from the base of the antenna to the remote switch.

Run as much of the 195 feet of wire vertically up the tower, with a standoff 
at the top of the tower and at the base.  The remaining part of the 195 feet 
should be run away from the tower, preferably as level and straight as your 
situation will permit.  Feed the bottom of the wire directly (no matching 
network required) with the center of the coax.  Drive a ground rod at the 
bottom/feed point as closely aligned with the vertical wire as possible, 
anchor the inverted L wire but be sure it is insulated from ground, attach 
the braid of the coax to the ground rod and if possible run 1 or 2 60+ foot 
radials on the ground.  You can make some anchor/pins for the radials from 
coat hangers or use what I use...the insulation hangers one uses for pinning 
insulation between wall studs. This keeps your wife and the lawn mower 
happy.  You will have to come up with your own idea for waterproofing the 
connection and also a good way to anchor the wire antenna at the bottom so 
the stress isn't on the coax connection.

If you make the wire a few feet longer, you can "tune"  the resonant point 
of the wire simply by folding the wire back on itself...not bothering to cut 
it because you may want to "retune" it at some point.

This setup should give you 160 and 80 without a problem and with a tuner, 
I'm sure it will work on 30 too.  It will give you DX on the bands as well 
as serve as a good antenna for working around the USA.  I've used this 
antenna and it works!  I have roughly 150 countries on 160 and a like amount 
on 80.  The more radials the better it plays...adding radials will not 
significantly change the resonant point of the antenna but it will lower the 
impedance.

As I said in my first sentence, I'm not your technical guy....many of the 
more technical antenna gurus may take exception to my suggestion and 
conclusion.  If they do, it certainly won't hurt my feelings.

Give it a shot David and tell us what you think.

73
Tony, W4FOA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David J. Ring, Jr." <n1ea at arrl.net>
To: <antennas at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 11:29 AM
Subject: [Antennas] Problem Installation


> please answer and do so via the antennas at mailman.qth.net) in other 
> words
> use "Reply to All" when responding.
>
> Question:  I want to put up an antenna, mostly for 160, 80 and 30 meters 
> as
> I currently have no antennas for those bands.  My only other antenna which
> is a trapped beam covers all the amateur bands from 7 MHz upward until 10
> meters, except 30 meters.
>
> I have a 50 foot tower with that beam located about 150 feet from the 
> house.
> I have a feedline to the tower and a remote coaxial feed line switch at 
> the
> base of the tower with three open slots.
>
> The problem is that there is a driveway between the house and the tower, 
> so
> I cannot have a dangling feedline.  I can however put a feedline from the
> house end about 40 feet away as there is a section of the ground floor 
> which
> has no first floor under it, this measures 40 feet if I measure the 
> distance
> (diagonal) that a wire from the tower to the 2nd floor roof would be above
> that first floor roof.
>
> What type of antenna (wire) would give me as much take off angles as
> possible as I'd like to work local and DX.
>
> Please respond with Reply to ALL as this is a 'test' message.
>
> 73
>
> David N1EA
>
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