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Re: [TenTec] OCF antennas evolution

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] OCF antennas evolution
From: Wade Staggs <tvman1954@gmail.com>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 10:32:13 -0500
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Hello to All,
                  "The RF has to go somewhere" is the truest statement, I
have heard in a while. In the late 1980's I had a favorite Guard Rail at a
Motel in Atlanta. 75,40 and 20 meters were no problem. That's back when I
traveled for work. Four years or so ago, when Brenda/KK4CJG and I became a
Hot Item. I loaded my radio into the Aluminum Roof of her Brick Triplex. it
worked so well that I thought about just leaving things that way. Now we
run 134 foot Flat Top fed with 78 feet of 450 ohm window line. There is a
1:1 Current Balun just outside the window for the coax to exit. I keep the
Coax as short as possible between the Balun and the Ladder/Window Line. It
works really well. Yes, it has been plotted and I had a Smith Chart on the
antenna years ago. ON 15,20 and 10 meters there are some major lobes.
Someone with a fancy Computer program should post some info on this design
for me and others. I lost my documentation and have been too lazy to do
anything about it. Plus, I don't have the programs! it works from 80 - 6
Meters with the MFJ-989C Tuner and the antenna is at 30 feet high.

73 from Wade/KJ4WS


On Thu, Jul 11, 2013 at 10:29 AM, Carter <k8vt@ameritech.net> wrote:

> On 7/10/2013 11:33 PM, Michael Tortorella wrote:
>
> > I feel compelled to weigh in here....back in the late '70s I used an
> > OCFD design from Ham Radio magazine which was pretty straightforward.
> > It was 135' long, fed with 44' of 300-ohm open wire to a 4:1 balun
> > and then a run of RG-11 into the shack. It was superb. Never had any
> > stray current problems. Worked about 150 countries using a Johnson
> > Navigator, 40 watts input. Would like to reproduce that next time
> > out. Don't pooh-pooh the OCFD design, be careful and it works well.
> > 73 Mike W2IY
>
> I smile when I see everybody describing their favorite wire antenna, so
> let me jump in with my comments (asbestos suit on). <grin>
>
> Mike, not to deny your success nor picking on you or anyone else
> describing their favorite wire antenna...but with ANY antenna, the RF has
> to go somewhere.
>
> I'm using a dipole about 130 feet long and maybe 25 feet off the ground
> fed entirely with ladder line (and a Johnson Matchbox) and worked a LOT of
> DX  including Indonesia on 80, the VK0IR dxpedition and even North Korea on
> RTTY with that antenna.
>
> Heck, Kurt N. Sterba wrote in 'World Radio' magazine that he used a
> SHOPPING CART as an antenna during a DX contest and worked 17 countries!
> Again, the RF has gotta go somewhere.
>
> Bottom line: DX performance seems more attributable to the Propagation
> gods rather than what flavor of wire antenna is being used.
>
> 73,
> Carter   K8VT
>
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