[Elecraft] OT: Sloper Dipole Question

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Chuck, you have touched on a subject only slightly more =
controversial.....
no... I don't think there IS a  more controversial subject than Antennas =
and
the proper deployment and feeding thereof.=20

The area of the antenna from which radiation is greatest is the area of
greatest current. That's the center of a dipole like you are using, no
matter which way it is hung up in the air. The only effect of sloping it
will be to unbalance the currents somewhat, since one leg is closer to =
the
earth than the other, and to make the polarization more "vertical".=20

Since the area of maximum radiation is at the center, IF one side has
slightly greater current than the other it won't be greatly different in
elevation from the other. They are both in the same immediate part of =
the
antenna.

At other frequencies at which the antenna is far removed from 1/2 wave =
you
may find the coax losses are rather large. You may find that feeding the
coax as a simple random wire against ground with the center conductor =
tied
to the shield at the rig is the best of all.=20

Since you said that you have the rig grounded for RF anyway, you may =
find
that it will work ever better to end-feed the wire and forget the coax. =
At
the point where the antenna is 1/2 wave long (40 meters) the antenna =
will
function exactly the same as if you center fed it with coax. On other =
bands
you won't have the complication of the coax and of its losses.=20

Ron AC7AC
K2 # 1289

-----Original Message-----
Each "leg" is 33 ft long, so the antenna is targeted for 40M and=20
anywhere else the KAT100 can encourage it to go. The antenna is=20
fed in the middle with the center conductor connected to one leg and=20
the shield connected to the other. I do ground the radio chassis to=20
earth.
Chuck