[Elecraft] Antenna choices

[Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT]

Joshua,

I'm going to second the suggestion that you get a copy of the antenna book.

This isn't a Ford vs. Chevy debate, which is based mostly on 
preference.  There is physics involved here.

If you put an HF vertical near the top of the tower, you'll need two 
radials on each band you want to operate.  Want to work 80? You'll need 
two radials 5% or so longer than an 80 meter dipole. You can't run 'em 
down the tower and then spread them out on the ground somehow, they'll 
need to be resonant, and kinda straight away from the base of the antenna.

Doesn't have to be perfect, but to 30, 40 and 80 you could put up 
dipoles (as an inverted-V) and have less wire up in the air.

Alternately, you could put up the tower and the beam, and put a vertical 
at ground level (so you don't need the radials).

I had a multiband HF vertical most of my ham career, on the roof, and it 
worked well.  I also had the opposite problem you report: just too many 
things around to do anything but put the antenna on the roof.

Rig something on the tower (some sort of halyard) so it's easy to pull 
wires to the top, and get a bunch of wire for experimenting. Don't worry 
if one end of the wire is down around ten feet above ground as long as 
someone can't easily grab the end of the wire.

Good luck, and have fun experimenting.

73 -- Lynn

On 5/25/2014 5:31 PM, Joshua Gould wrote:
> Ok, I know that this is a topic much like the Ford vs. Chevy debates or the
> Android vs. Apple debates, but I do have a few questions...
>
> I am going to be acquiring a 56 foot Rohn BX tower.  I already have a G5RV
> that I am planning on putting up (still not sure where I'm going to attach
> the other end of it to, One end will go on the tower.) I'm going to put up
> a 2m/440 vertical at some point up near the top of the tower.  I keep
> throwing around an HF vertical or a beam.  The verticals seem to cover more
> bands, but the beams are directional.  (Would also need a rotor,..
>
> Can a multi band yagi be tuned to a different band, or will it only work on
> the bands that it's designed for?
>
> I'm thinking long term and I'll probably be adding a K3/100 with a KPA500
> to the mix in the next year or so...  Trying to figure out what will give
> me the best bang for my buck, so to speak.
>
> 73,
> Joshua Gould
> K8WXA
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