[Hallicrafters] 40 m antenna used on 80 m - what to expect?

[Jim Brannigan]

Had to laugh, yes ignorance was bliss.
I recall the novice goal was to get any wire outside, feed it with something and transmit.
Making ANY contacts made it a good antenna!!!

I remember Harrison Radio on Greenwich St. with rows of Collins gear

Jim
  ?


  Skip,

  Sometimes ignorance is bliss. (my ignorance, in this case).

  Upon receiving my Novice class ticket in 1960 I immediately put up a 40M dipole about 25' off the ground and fed 
  it with 70' or so of RG-59 directly to the pi-net output of my just completed Knight Kit 50 watt transmitter. 
  I had two 40M crystals & had a great time. The SX-99 was connected to an 80' #12 copperclad longwire (the wire still 
  had the 'set' and coiled back up close to original shape when I took it down 9 years later). Didn't have to worry 
  about an antenna change-over relay - just turned down the RF gain on the SX-99 when transmitting. 
  Of course, both antennas were erected during a snowstorm - can you think of a better time?

  Anyway, after about 3 weeks on the air I got the bright idea that 80M could be real fun, so I went over to 
  Harrison Radio (225 Greenwich St., in Manhattan and picked up two 80M xtals & proceeded to run the Knight straight
  into the 40M dipole on 80M. No problem. Didn't know what the swr was (no swr meter); didn't know how many of the 35 or so input watts
  showed up at the antenna (no wattmeter) but I worked up & down the east coast from NY; out to the midwest (Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis). 
  Had more fun on 80 than on 40. Less qrm andmore slow-speed guys to chat with. 

  Only problem was with harmonics. My 3704kc xtal doubled to 7408kc and careless dipping one day to the harmonic
  earned me a 'special official reception report' from the FCC. Solved that by more careful tuning and a harmonic trap courtesy 
  of QST.

  Bottom line - give the 40M dipole a try on 80 and you might be surprised. Have fun.

  73
  Ollie


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