[Elecraft] cobweb antenna

[John Saxon]

FWIW:

I am at the least demanding end of ham operating (in my opinion)...occasional CW rag chews.  Most of my time is on my workbench restoring/building boat anchor stuff.  I am in an HOA area and here is what I ended up with for my antenna, and am very pleased.

The "Emergency Amateur Radio Club" in Hawaii sells an antenna that has worked for my needs.  They sell a 30' length of wire and an UNUN fitted with a SO-259.  I got a 33' telescoping fiberglass pole from MFJ.  I attached the pole to my back fence (6' wooden).  It only takes a couple of minutes to attach the wire and host up the pole.  Collapsing the pole also a couple of minutes.

The antenna is here...
http://earchi.org/92011endfedfiles/Endfed6_40.pdf


I am running a K3/10 and getting solid CW reports.  Not any DX, mind you, but am working coast-to-coast which satisfies my needs.  No radials, and the pole does not need guys.  Does require a tuner(I don't have the K3 internal tuner), I am using a Kenwood AT-230 which loads it just fine 40-10.  Haven't tried 6, doesn't load on 80.

When the weather turns bad, I just take it down.  Collapsed it is 4' which is 2' shorter than my fence!  One thing that helps is that there is no one behind me, no power lines and no trees - it is in the clear.  When deployed, one has to really look for it to see it, and most of the time it is down.  I always take it down in the evening when I am done.  I have had not had any complaints from the HOA.

Very simple and unsophisticated , but meets my needs.  Total investment about $130.

"I have no financial interest..."  blah, blah, blah.

Maybe this will be of interest to someone.

73,
John
K5ENQ


________________________________
 From: David Gilbert <xdavid at cis-broadband.com>
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2013 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] cobweb antenna
 


Having once owned an R-5, and having opened the "matching network" box 
to see what's inside it, I'd take the cobweb antenna over the R-5 for 
performance any day.

Dave   AB7E



On 5/31/2013 3:35 AM, Bill wrote:
> For the rather rare times I operate on the "DX" bands, I use a 
> Cushcraft R5 (five bands 10-20). Much smaller foot print than a cobweb 
> style antenna. Has been up for over twenty years and is still going.
>
> Bill W2BLC

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