[Elecraft] Miniature self-supporting HF antennas

[Wes (N7WS)]

Your deep suspicion is probably unjustified.

Certainly, examples can be found of inefficient antennas which suffer some 
inefficiency because of the coils but generally, the inefficiency is due to the 
need for the coils in the first place.

Any antenna satisfying what I perceive are Wayne's needs is going to be 
inefficient because it is small and operated in close proximity to Mother Earth. 
There is a good chance that conductor and ground losses swamp coil loss.

If one is going to compare one antenna with loading coils to another without 
coils to determine efficiency then they they must be tested under the exact 
conditions.  In other words, take measurements of antenna one, remove it and 
replace it with antenna two and note the change. Any other comparison is 
uncontrolled and suspect.

Wes  N7WS

On 7/20/2015 2:46 AM, Rick M0LEP wrote:
>> So far, I've found nothing that comes close, and there's nothing more
>> frustrating than getting to the top and then finding the antenna you
>> have is doing a poor job. I now regard anything which relies on loading
>> coils with deep suspicion. That coil's usually doing a fine job of
>> converting RF to heat. One such antenna I tested against an inverted-V
>> dipole turned out to be over 20dB down on the dipole for 40 metres.
>>
>> On Sun 19 Jul Wayne Burdick wrote:
>>> But the search for the ideal miniature HF antenna continues: something
>>> both very compact *and* highly efficient. Ideally it would break down
>>> to a length of 8" or less, do an excellent job on 20 meters and up,
>>> and earn a passing grade on 30 and/or 40 meters.
>