[Johnson] Thirty years of ladder line

Richard Peterson zapp11 at hotmail.com
Mon Oct 24 10:50:29 EDT 2005


Not to beat this issue to death, but I like ladder line, and once you've 
used it, you will really like it.

But I agree with the warning that using metal standards to support it is not 
the best idea. I think a good tuner will overcome that, however...but 
remember, a Johnson Matchbax has a fairly limited tuning range compared with 
the more modern high-pass T networks that so many of us use.

The real secret to successful use of ladder line is good, clean straight 
runs. You need to get your ladder line out the window and up into the air 
fairly quickly. I have seen failed efforts to route it along walls and 
ceilings and other situations, and it sometimes (not always) leads to 
problems, and can even lead to RF in the shack if things aren't balanced 
(and with modern tuners, things are often unbalanced).

If you can't get your ladder line "out and up" in a hurry, most of us should 
consider coax, especially if you are planning on running any serious power.

Richard

WB5NEN




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