[GCARC] Comet CHA-250HD antenna comments

[Kenneth Bozarth]

My two more cents - keeping with verticals, since they are the best antenna
for DX on low bands unless you get a wire very high...I have extremely good
performance with my R8. 40m is not very wide so you gotta pick your portion
of the band, and a tuner takes care of the other end if you don't run legal
limit. No radials, but it has a set of short steel wire radials for
capacitive loading. Mounted on a 10' mast, it really works and is self
supporting. The matching transformer will handle legal limit inside the low
SWR band. If you need 80m, the R9 is good, but may need a set of guys, and
again, bandwidth limited. As for ground mounted verticals with radials, you
do not need 1/4-wave radials. Twice as many short ones work better. I have
a ground mounted 33' vertical for40m and onlyabout 16 radials and I get out
very good with it. The 43-foot vertical has proven to be a great antenna
but you need a base tuner, such as the MFJ998RT for high power (pricey). On
40m, if you can get a wire at 50-60', you'll do very well. And, if you
don't care about long haul DX on 80m, that wire will work OK on 80m. I use
a fan inverted V on 80m and 40m with apex at about 55' and it works.

On Wed, Nov 15, 2023 at 3:12 PM Vinnie Sallustio <yankees_1996 at hotmail.com>
wrote:

> He's going to need a pile of ground radials with the 5BTV ground mounted,
> which is totally doable. If the 5BTV is installed, he will need tuned
> radials, which for 40 and 80 would be very long.
>
> Does he have any trees? If so, how much space does he have? I use a OCF
> with 4:1 at 35 feet, and get all over the world with it. 6:1 if he is up 50
> feet.
>
> Get Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>
> ________________________________
> From: gcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net <gcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on
> behalf of Tony Starr <tstarr1450 at gmail.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 11:22:21 AM
> To: Jeff One <djgrath1 at gmail.com>
> Cc: gcarc at mailman.qth.net <gcarc at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [GCARC] Comet CHA-250HD antenna comments
>
> Jeff,
>
> All that Charlie,  or anyone else considering this antenna, needs to know
> about it, is contained in this very honest paragraph on the DX Engineering
> website"
>
> *This improved Comet CHA-250HD features a new solid whip replacing the top
> aluminum section for greater flexibility and less strain on the lower
> sections in high winds. The “magic” behind the CHA-250HD is the transformer
> matching section. The transformer on the original CHA-250B had smooth
> sides. This improved design features a heat sink to dissipate the heat
> created inside the transformer from the RF that enters the power feeding
> section rather than transmitted as RF. This is the compromise needed to
> create a broad-band, low SWR, multi-band HF antenna withinimal visual
> impact.*
>
> Basically, it comes down to this:  Antenna "matching transformers" should
> not feature heatsinks or cooling fins.  If they do, it is a dead giveaway
> that they are HIGHLY in-efficient.  Unless you have lots of power ( and
> money ) to waste, there are many other vertical antenna choices that you
> can make which will put more RF in the air, and keep more money in your
> pocket. My favorite choice, which I own, would be the Hustler 5BTV, but
> there are many others, all of which will perform better than the Comet
> CHA-250 series.
>
> Tony K3TS
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 15, 2023 at 8:56 AM Jeff One <djgrath1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > All,
> >
> > Charlie Wahl, KC2STO is asking for some comments on purchasing a Comet
> > CHA-250HD HF antenna. Please respond directly to him at 856-656-6122.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> >
> >
> > D. Jeffrey Garth
> >
> > 621 Greenbriar Drive
> >
> > Williamstown, NJ 08094-1149
> >
> > 73, WB2ZBN
> >
> > Club Publications
> >
> > www.w2mmd.org<http://www.w2mmd.org>
> >
> >
> >
> > "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your
> life"
> > - Confucius
> >
> >
> >
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