[Elecraft] cobweb antenna

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

Different strokes for different folks but the R5 along with an 80/40
trap inverted V at 40 feet allowed me to make Honor Roll both Mixed
and CW over the past 10 year (100W maximum power) after being off the
air for most of the previous 20 years.

The R6000 (current incarnation of the R5) and the R8 (R6000 with
40 and 30 meters) are essentially off center fed vertical dipoles.
In spite of the way the capacitors in the "matching network" look,
the antenna is as efficient as one can expect from a vertical and
lacking a *high* support for a horizontal antenna (if you can get
a multiband rotatable dipole above 40 feet go for it), I'd take the
R5/R6000/R7/R8 over the cobweb and similar antennas in heartbeat.

Unless one is building a tower, my advice for those just getting
on the air is the R6000 (20-6) or R8 (40-6) as that will provide a
single antenna solution to the greatest number of bands and it
works out of the box - no need to fight with radials, etc.  Once
one has "gotten his feet wet", then it's time to investigate more
effective antennas (yagis, etc.) and antennas for the other (160,
80, 40) bands.

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV


On 5/31/2013 1:25 PM, David Gilbert wrote:
>
> 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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