[NLRS] 2M Big Wheel antenna info

[Donn Baker]

I have, and can bring to breakfast, "Xerox" copies of the 2m Big Wheel
article from the ARRL VHF Handbook, ca. 1970.  If there's a call for them.
How many should I bring ?

Two things:
Doug's comment about construction w/the "CB antenna" replacement part is
spot-on.  MUCH easier to build.

I have a two-antenna stack that I've used for years.  Works well for local
work.  Does pick up noise from all directions... which is a problem here
from the direction of NE Minneapolis.

73 Donn
WA2VOI/0

PS One last thing... they are, uh, shall we say, UGLY.  But they work.


At 01:34 08-01-07 -0600, Doug Reed wrote:
>
>
>At the last breakfast there was a request for a copy of the original QST 
>article for the 2M Big Wheel antenna. I found three articles at:
>www.6mt.com/2tech.htm
>The web site didn't respond when I tried it but having Google display 
>the cached version did show the links to download the files, which did 
>work. The Zipped images total about 1MB and I could email them if 
>requested.
>
>They are GIF copies of the original magazine pages from QST Sept 61, Oct 
>61, and SWOT #1869. Kind of ugly but readable. As I remember it is 
>essentially the same info as from the VHF Manual around that time, but 
>with additional text.
>
>The layout of the tubing bending fixture is not well documented but can 
>be easily figured out based on a 24" radius circle, 100 (+-50) degree 
>angle from the center of the circle and 6" radius in the corners. Bend 
>the tubing around the form and trim to 80" OAL. Will barely fit on a 
>2'x4' piece of plywood with 1x2" or 1x4" wood to set the edges for bending.
>
>The easiest way to build the feed point is to forget the original design 
>with a SO-239 and 1"-1.5" ceramic insulator. Instead go to your favorite 
>radio store and buy one of the SO-239 connector to 3/8" stud adapters 
>commonly found as replacement parts for CB antennas. The adapter mounts 
>into a hole in the lower bracket and the stud portion is around 1.5" 
>tall, close enough for this antenna since the shorting strap is 
>adjustable for setting SWR.
>
>The second article (Oct 61) included on-the-air test data and described 
>the 4-bay stack. The article said the 2-bay stack was noticeably better 
>than a single antenna and the 4-bay version was better yet as expected 
>from stacking gain.
>
>The stacking articles mention the need to invert antennas for phasing. 
>Instead of inverting the antenna, the same effect can be had by 
>reversing the start and end connections of each loop. Instead of left on 
>the bottom, right on the top, use right on top, left on the bottom. The 
>antennas will need to be retuned after placing them in the stack.
>
>73, Doug Reed, N0NAS.
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