[Elecraft] Antenna choices

[George Thornton]

I have tried a number of different things over the years.  I have finally settled on a 3 element Steppir.  I got it used and paid half the cost of new, so it was not exorbitant.  With a little care they can be made to function as good as new.

The 3 element stepper and K3 are a potent mix. I can get pretty much everywhere and am able to get through most pileups with 100 watts,   I find I really don't need an amp.  

The 3 element is infinitely tunable and will give  you near perfect performance on all bands 40 and above.  You can add an inverted V under the tower to get down to 80 meters.  

You will need a rotor.  You don't need a huge investment however, they work well with the commonly available Ham IV rotors.  Lots of reliable and attractively priced used ones on the market.

I would put my money into the antenna instead of the amp.

The 3m----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Walter Underwo
Sent: Sunday, May 25, 201
> Joshua Gould
> K8WXA't 
> 
>  
> On Sun, May 25, 2014 at 8:56 PM, Walter Underwood <wunder at wunderwood.org> wrote:
> That is several very big questions, and enough that I suggest getting a copy of the ARRL Antenna Book and reading before spending much money. And talking to a lot of hams that already have towers.
> 
> Multi-band Yagi antennas are multi-band, but not wideband. They are tuned for specific bands, like 20m or 15m. They do not work well on bands they are not designed for.
> 
> A vertical on a tower might give a few dB of gain (on the bands it is designed for). A Yagi (beam) will typically give 10dB or so of gain on each band it is designed for.
> 
> The G5RV works for a lot of people, but it is a compromise on many bands, and could cause problems when run with high power (500W).


> 
> Since you are going to the bother of putting up a tower, I'd also put up dipoles cut for most of the lower bands and feed them from a common point. This is called a fan dipole or parallel dipole. If you'd like that pre-cut for you, I recommend Hy-Power Antenna (http://www.hypowerantenna.com/).
> 
> wunder
> K6WRU
> http://observer.wunderwood.org/
> 
> On May 25, 2014, at 5:31 PM, Joshua Gould <jg.k8wxa at gmail.com> 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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> --
> Walter Underwood
> wunder at wunderwood.org
> 
> 
> 
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--
Walter Underwood
wunder at wunderwood.org



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