[Boatanchors] Beam elements

Jim jbrannig at optonline.net
Wed May 13 12:42:30 EDT 2009


Memories!!
One of my first young Ham trips up a tower was to take down a "Cliff 
Dweller" for an OT. (even more OT than I am now)
The OT was replacing motor capacitors, I think.  Are the motors AC?
A few days later it was back up the tower the replace the antenna.
I used it a few times and recall that it was a good performer.

Jim

> Dave Reynolds wrote:
>> Hi ,
>>    For what it's worth, if it were me I would buy or build a linear 
>> loaded 40m rotatable dipole.
> I think I'd second that idea, Dave.
>
> I lucked into a deal on a Newtronics "Cliff-Dweller" if anyone remembers
> that antenna from the early 1960s.  It's a rotatable dipole for 80 and
> 40 meters that uses motors to move the ends of the loaded elements in
> and out to QSY, and a separate motor to move a shorting bar to switch
> bands.  Although the loading is not linear, the overall dimensions are
> similar and it works very well.   Linear loaded elements are a bit more
> efficient I think, and eliminates the mechanical complexity of trying to
> tune the thing in the air, (although SteppIR seems to have that down pat).
>
> I've always believed that it's hard to beat a quarter wave dipole, but
> the ability to put these shortened dipoles up higher and rotate them
> seems to close the gap quite a lot.
>
> 73, Bob W9RAN



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