[Elecraft] Random wire lengths for antennas

[Ignacy]

KXAT3 has trouble matching high impedance antennas. No problem matching
anything using BL-1, BL-2, or any other 4:1 (or 9:1) balun although for odd
impedances the balun may have substantial losses. But I prefer balun than
antenna-tuner overheating. 

Probably all wire longer than 1/4 lambda radiate nearly all. Vertical above
5/8 lambda start generating high lobes. Horizontal add a few db because of
ground reflections but also lobes. 

Once I made an experiment trying a vertical with a few radials, a random
long wire with radials, or two random long wires as a semidipole, all fed by
TV ribbon.  In all cases, two random wires were the best, often by far,
across bands.  But setting up a portable vertical is easy,  one long wire is
hard, and 2 long wire is the hardest. 

In a nutshell, random wires are fine with exact length unimportant. If
tuning problems, use a small balun. 

Ignacy, NO9E



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