[Elecraft] Windom feeder length

[Reed]

>Reed, with all that coax there is some smoothing of any feedpoint =
mismatches
>& is the reason it works well for you on all bands, but have you ever
>measured the power at the antenna with field strength meter vs. a =
single
>band dipole?   I f you had shorter feeder, you could gain some power.  =
At
>those lengths is where I switch to parallel lines like ladder line.
>73,
>Stuart
>K5KVH

Well Stuart I took my Bird 43 & measured at the end of the coax & only =
lost 1/2 watt on 14 MHz.  The 75 foot length is RG-213 Belden coax that =
runs into an automatic antenna switch.  I have used just the 98 foot =
feed line that comes with the Windom & SWR was very close to the same as =
using the extra 75 foot length.

I use a beam on HF, 150 feet of Belden RG-213 coax, but Windom has done =
a good job on the HF bands, better of course on low bands. =20

I replaced the 75 meter dipole with the Windom & yes the 75 meter cut =
for 3.980Mhz was 1S unit better than the Windom.  But I was stuck on =
that frequency & Windom was much better on CW, of course, than the 75 =
meter using a tuner.

Not feasible for me to use ladder line.  My shack is in middle of house =
& antenna feed point is off the over end of the house.  I used ladder =
line at my other QTH & yes it did put out the watts to the antenna, but =
also into the telephone & cable TV.  Also coax is much quieter!  I'm on =
a 1/3 acre lot & not a lot of room for dipoles, but I'm on the 2nd =
highest hill in 15 mile radius of my QTH!  If I can hear them I can work =
them, at QRP level,  even on the low bands using the Windom.  Have a =
ball on 30 meters running about 3 watts out. I also have a GAP vertical, =
Challenger, & the Windom on 40 meters is sometimes 2 to 3 S units better =
than the GAP & at other times the GAP beats the Windom.  Of course =
depends on conditions & if the other station antenna is horizontal or =
vertical.

Reed  W4JZ





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