[Elecraft] OCF antennas

[Fred Jensen]

On 3/9/2012 2:14 PM, WILLIS COOKE wrote:
> When I got on the air at this QTH in 2006 I installed a Carolina
> Windom from Radio Works.  It is about 40 feet high and fed with a
> short piece of RG8X.  I thought it a great antenna and worked some
> contests and a lot of DX.  Later, I installed a 30 foot vertical with
> one radial and found it much superior on 40 and 15.  Then I installed
> a 65 ft tower  with a 3 element SteppIR 30/40 and worked DXCC in 31
> days.  Then I installed a 40 and 80 inverted Vee fed with a common
> coax.  Then I installed an Inverted L with an 80 meter trap for 80
> and 160.  The Carolina Windom is still up, but it is not the
> preferred antenna for any band at any distance.  I find that the OCF
> is the best antenna only if it is your only antenna, but I have not
> compared it to a Buddy Pole.

If you keep installing antennas and don't take any down, will you ever 
have enough?

The Buddipole, using the horizontal loaded dipole "recipe" in the 
documentation, is an OCF configuration to improve the match, and the 
line has current on it.  Not a problem for my K2 or KX1 at 5 or 3W. 
Maybe not true for 100+ watts.  I've been using a center-loaded "recipe" 
with radials made from the longer BP extendable elements.  Seems to work 
better than the horizontal configs.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2012 Cal QSO Party 6-7 Oct 2012
- www.cqp.org