[Elecraft] Vertical Antennas

[Jozef Hand-Boniakowski]

My observations.  2 years go, I put up a homebrew made of leftover 
tubing 33 ft vertical using an old Hustler 5BTV mount.  A 3-1/2 inch 
galvanized pipe, hacksawed at one end into a 30 degree (angle) point was 
sledge driven into the ground as a mount stake.  It is guyed with 3 
ropes at the 18-ft level and secured with wood stakes.  I feed it 
directly at the bottom with RG8X small coax.  I have put down 32 
radials.  Since 6/2005, I have worked 212 countries and worked all 
states numerous times, including QRP.  I run a IC756 Pro III.  I also 
work plenty of DX using my Elecraft K1 which I just finished building.  
I used the vertical on 40 where it works the best and has a 1:1 SWR.  I 
also use it on 30, 17 and 15 meters.  I am amazed how well it works on 
17 and 15 meters.  I use a Palstar AT1500CV.  I can work anything I hear 
and I hear plenty.  I don't get too excited about SWR.  If the 
transmitter sees a 1:1 on TX side of the tuner using the Palstar, I will 
see what the antenna can do.  Other antennas are 133ft inverted-L.  
G5RV.  And A3 at 40 feet.  My K1's antenna tuner matches to the vertical 
just fine.  When the weather warms up, I'm going to hit the mountain 
tops of Vermont (my home) with a disposable party helium canister and 
float a 66ft vertical on 40 meters.  Being 1/2 wavelength it should not 
need any radials.  BTW, the vertical ad RG8X takes 600 watts using a 
Yaesu FL2100B just fine, for those times when I want to run an 
indefinite string of DX QSOs back-to-back.  I am CW only.

Jozef
WB2MIC
Wells VT

Trevor Day wrote:
> Hi Mike,
> I just want to respond to one aspect of your post which, 
> co-incidentally, I have been discussing elsewhere this week.  Thats 
> the business of using an ATU.  Essentially the document you read is 
> correct; any adjustments to obtain a good match to the transmitter in 
> an aerial of this type (trapped vertical, yagi, dipole etc.) should be 
> done by adjusting the aerial itself.
>
> Placing an ATU at the tx end of the feeder (or built in as in the K2) 
> is fine for small adjustments at, for example, band edges to prevent 
> the SWR protection circuit from reducing the power out whilst still 
> protecting the PA.
> Attempting to compensate for large mismatches with an ATU at the tx 
> end of the feeder may result in an apparently good match, but will in 
> most cases cause the feeder to radiate.
>
> Exceptions to this are when the feeder is of the balanced variety, eg. 
> open wire, where the feeder carries a 'balanced' standing wave as a 
> matter of course.
>
> In your case, adjust the vertical for best match on each band, 
> starting with the highest frequency band, and without using the ATU in 
> the K2. Once you are happy you have the best match you can on each 
> band, then the K2's ATU can be used to perfect the match before 
> operating.
>
> HTH
> Trev G3ZYY
>
> In message <007701c75cb9$5ba76270$0501a8c0 at LAPTOP>, Mike Walkington 
> <mike at walkingtons.com> writes
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I've moved to a new house and I'm trying to get a Hustler 5BTV working
>> really well with my K2 in my new location. I plan to install the 
>> antenna in
>> a ground plane configuration on a 2 storey home and feed it with 
>> coax. I was
>> planning to use a few quarter wave radial for each of the bands of 
>> interest.
>>
>> I've had problems with TVI using this antenna before, so this time I 
>> will
>> use some sort of a choke to block currents on the outer surface of 
>> the coax
>> braid. Any suggestions on what I should use?
>>
>> How should I protect myself from lightning? I initially thought about
>> running a lead from the base of the antenna to ground, but the length of
>> this would probably turn the antenna into a vertical dipole.
>>
>> I was reading some doco for this antenna and read the following: 
>> Never use
>> an antenna tuner to tune the antenna.Use of a tuner only fools the
>> transmitter and does not correct a problem at the antenna.
>> This doesn't seem right can I use my K2's tuners?
>>
>> Finally, I've been reading Moxon's HF Antennas for All Locations, and he
>> doesn't seem to recommend quarter wave radials for ground planes. I'm 
>> not
>> sure I comprehend why. Is anyone familiar with his concerns?
>>
>>
>> Mike
>> VK1KCK, K2 #2599
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Post to: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
>> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
>> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>>
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
>> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>