[Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"

[Barry]

Yep. A good antenna tuner and ladder line hides a whole lot of stuff. 
Where would I be with my 40' X 110' yard if I really worried about being 
exact. I have DXCC mixed, CW, and SSB, and I never ran over 100 Watts 
nor had a real "resonant" antenna. And, I've forgotten all of the math I 
ever had in college more than 50 years ago; I get a headache when I 
think of ever having to do math again.

73,
Barry
K3NDM

------ Original Message ------
From: "Emory Schley" <silverlocks at gmx.com>
To:
Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Sent: 1/30/2017 8:38:17 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"

>
>I've found over the years that a McCoy Dipole works pretty well, often 
>MUCH better than expected. What is a McCoy Dipole? Named after Lew 
>McCoy, it follows his rules of construction. "Make it as long as you 
>can, get it as high as you can, and feed it with ladder-line." No math, 
>no measurements, no sweat. But a TUNER (transmatch) is definitely 
>needed.
>
>Emory Schley
>N4LP
>
>
>Kurt N. Sterba was correct. Textbook antennas aren't always
>possible, or even needed. If the situation is difficult, any radiator 
>is
>better than none. However, hams in general are anal animals on the
>subject of antennas. My attitude has always been what's a db or two
>among friends, and quite often that is the number we are sweating. But,
>if you can't make it exactly like Kraus writes, get as close as you can
>and let your antenna tuner worry about the match and don't think about
>that extra db.
>
>73,
>Barry
>K3NDM
>
>------ Original Message ------
>From: "Fred Jensen" <k6dgw at foothill.net>
>To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>Sent: 1/29/2017 6:10:29 PM
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] The "Kinda Random Antenna"
>
>>N6BT famously set up a "phased array" of 3 light bulbs in a V-beam
>>configuration and achieved WAC. He called it "The Illuminator." Kurt
>>N. Sterba [a regular in the old WorldRadio] is correct, the power will
>>go somewhere. My home antenna is a 136' wire strung along the wood
>>fence on electric fence insulators. Fed at the end, no overt
>>counterpoise [the outside of the coax shield handles that]. Not spec'd
>>for 160 but the KAT3 matches it fine. Invisible to HOA. NVIS on 160
>>and 80, semi-NVIS on 40.
>>
>>One thing to remember: feeding electrically long wires results in
>>complicated radiation patterns. The higher in frequency you go, the
>>more it's going to squirt your RF in different directions, not all of
>>which point at the DX. But, mine works very well considering it's
>>about 1.8 m off the ground.
>>
>>73,
>>
>>Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
>>Sparks NV DM09dn
>>Washoe County
>>
>>On 1/29/2017 10:26 AM, Barry wrote:
>>>Wayne,
>>>  I know what you are saying and agree. In very simple terms, if you
>>>can load it, it will radiate. That was a position that a writer with
>>>the nom de plume of Kurt N Sterba too in a book he wrote. By the
>>>physical law of conservation of energy, it all has to go somewhere.
>>>And, that could be heat or radiation. In his book he claims to have
>>>loaded a shopping cart and talked to people.
>>>
>>>  Yes, you can do these things as long as you make good connections
>>>and the tuners can handle it. All of the discussion is how to pick a
>>>length that the tuner will accept. Once there, physics takes over. 
>>>And
>>>just to prove my point, and yours, I just worked the CQ 160 CW
>>>contest. My antenna was a vertical 20 meter dipole center fed with
>>>open wire. My radio is a K3s. I worked across this country, Canada,
>>>and some DX with this 33' wire antenna that by all rights should have
>>>been over 200'. I would have done better, but my local power company
>>>added another handicap, line noise. Bottom line: Throw some wire up
>>>and see if it can be loaded. If yes, go for it.
>>>
>>>73,
>>>Barry
>>>K3NDM
>>
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