[R-390] Antenna wire

[Bernard nicholson]

I have found that the best WIRE   for antennas is galvanised iron fencing wire  !   People worry about resistance ect but when you have very little current flowing resistance isn't a problem , even when used as a transmit antenna the difference in  radiation efficiency over copper is around 4%  in Db terms this needs pretty good instrumentation to measure, When one looks at commercial  antenna suppliers one finds that their  range of wire antennas  such as Broadband deltas and logperiodic arrays  ect. come in three versions , HARD DRAWN COPPER , GALVANISED IRON  AND STAINLESS STEEL, the last being for corrosive areas by the Sea  ,  8 gauge fencing wire is cheap and doesn't stretch  , I have a 160 meter dipole at 90 ft  between a couple of big trees its a 280Ft span and I have nearly half a ton of tension on it its been up there with no trouble since 1991  , I regularly hear and work the US from Australia on 160 using this antenna ,  On the subject if insulators  They are sold here in Australia in Farm Produce stores  for Electric fences both ceramic and High impact plastic ,they are very good and very cheap , The galvanised iron is a bit harder to solder to but with a hot  300Watt  iron not too difficult , You need a nice big pair of Electricians pliers to handle it and  you need to make sure you don't kink it , That's about it   ,Not rocket science , Regards to all Bernie Nicholson Vk2abn