[Elecraft] Rick & antennas...

[Jim Brown]

On Thu,12/10/2015 7:33 AM, n9tf at comcast.net wrote:
> I don't have room to run even a full 1/2 wave dipole for 80m, or a lot of wires, but the OCF dimensions (45'/90') fit in to my lot with a bit of zig-zagging.

I had a similar issue on my Chicago city lot. My solution was a loaded 
dipole for 80M that also resonated on 40M. You can buy antennas like 
this here.

http://www.hypowerantenna.com/products/dipoles  Look at the 2B4080L

As others have noted, the major advantages are 1) predictable pattern 2) 
fed with coax, so they can be choked to kill common mode feedline 
current. Common mode feedline current makes a noisy antenna and puts RF 
in the shack.

I've used the 160/80 M version of this antenna very successfully in 
three locations, adding a 40M fan element to cover that band.

Barry's antennas are well designed, but their construction is a bit 
light weight for high stress applications (like 150 ft up in tall trees 
that sway in the wind). They're fine for lower stress installations. For 
the antennas I've built based on his designs, I've bought the loading 
coils and built the rest. His standard design was more than strong 
enough for my Chicago installation at about 40 ft between fixed points 
(not trees).

73, Jim K9YC