[HCARC] super antenna

[Don Murray via HCARC]

Lew...
 
Is this thing directional?
 
On 160 it certainly is lighting up the clouds!
 
On 80, a 29 degree takeoff angle is quite  respectable...
but, where is the lobe??
 
The antenna is big, but I don't see how it is  usable.
 
For example... if the 40m gain is 12.4 dB at an elevation  angle of
15 degrees and 360 degrees of azimuth, well that would   be an
antenna that EVERYONE with the space would  erect!!
 
But, if it works only in one direction, then it would be great  for a
fixed point to point circuit, but if you want to work  different
directions, then that is a big problem!
 
 
73
Don
W4WJ
 
 
In a message dated 2/26/2015 3:35:18 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
w5lew at reagan.com writes:

A friend  in Mississippi sent me some info about a super loop antenna.  
Thought you  might like to dream of having such and antenna.  Enjoy!



A  ham's dream antenna, which I saw when visiting Bob W0JEE in Smiley, TX 
SE of  San Anrtonio.

Elvin JA3CZY from Osaka came to TX for a visit. He has a  3 element 80M 
yagi at 220 ft atop a building and said that W0JEE on 75M SSB  was the loudest 
signal he ever hears form the USA, beating even the west coast  high power 
and big antenna guys. So I took Elvin to see Bob in  Smiley.



Here's what Bob told me about it.
He has  experimented with long wires, vees, rhombics and other designs.
Then  enlisted ham friends help to design the best single antenna for all  
bands.
There was no literature on the design they eventually came up  with.
it is a square loop 282 feet per side square loop at 104 feet over  good 
ground. 
Wire is from http://thewireman.com/antennap.html 
#531  Toughcoat 'Silky' 13 AWG, 19 strand 40% copper-clad steel (OD 
0.0795") with  tough, high density, low-gloss polyethylene (Nominal OD, 0.120" 
including  0.020" jacket. Designed for through-the-trees, sea coast, acid rain 
or other  inclement atmospheric conditions. Our most rugged, longest-lived, 
stranded  antenna wire for any purpose. Jacket has minimal effect on 
performance - less  than that of a year's accumulation of oxidation product on bare 
wire, with  less noise. Break strength 400lbs 
Sag is 3 feet between steel used oil  well drill pipe at corners: 3/4" wall 
5" dia 42 feet, 4" dia 42 feet, 3" dia  42 feet nested/welded 7 ft inside 
each other with 7 feet in concrete in  ground. 
Pipe guyed in 3 directions at 120 degrees with 3/8 galv. steel  cable at 35 
and 70 feet up, 40 feet out from pipe on drill pipe posts 10 feet  above 
ground and 5 feet below in cement. 

Fed at the SE corner with 265  feet of Ladder line 
http://thewireman.com/antennap.html#balanced Wireman # 554  
440 ohm, 14 AWG, 19 strand copper-clad steel, same as 552 but designed for  
maximum legal power. VF .91 

Bob says he got design help from Bud W5RPU  in Allen, TX who figured out 
with modeling software what would be the best  performing single antenna for 
all bands. This one performed best of  all:

160M 6.6 db max gain at 49 deg elevation / 80M 11.1 db at 29  deg

40M 12.4 db at 15 deg / 30M 13.5 db at 12 deg

20M 14.5 db at  9 deg / 17M 14.1 db at 8 deg

15M 14.6 db at 6 deg / 12M 15.1 db at 5  deg

10M 15.0 db at 4 deg / 6M 15.3 db at 3 deg

Now that's some  fantastic DX antenna! Bob said he spent about $4000 on 
materials and labor  with volunteers helping. 73, Skip  W5GAI

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