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Re: Topband: 1/2 wl verticals and spaving

To: "Carl Braun" <Carl.Braun@lairdtech.com>, "Richard \(Rick\) Karlquist" <richard@karlquist.com>, <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: 1/2 wl verticals and spaving
From: "Tom W8JI" <w8ji@w8ji.com>
Reply-to: Tom W8JI <w8ji@w8ji.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 2015 08:30:39 -0500
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
I'm glad to hear that it's that simple. I used the same principle when the verticals were dedicated to 40M and were 1/4wl tall where I fed them with 3/4wl and 5/4wl coaxial runs. The gain and side nulls were impressive.>>>

Carl,

This is real simple to handle.

With a 1/4 wave or odd 1/4 feed to a current-fed vertical, the feedline needs equal voltages at the phasing unit to force equal currents. If it was a 1/2 wave feeder, it would require equal currents.

With a voltage fed antenna and a 1/4 wave feeder to the phasing unit, it would require equal currents at the phasing unit. If you make the feeder to each vertical 1/2 wave long, then it takes equal voltages at the phasing unit just like a normal current fed does with 1/4 wave feeder.

The issue with this is transmission line properties in the matching system at the vertical can upset what you think is the transmission line length.

With the 1/2 wave wide spacing you really only have the choice of in or out of phase for any pattern with deep nulls, so none of this really matters. Each element would have the same impedance. If you had a unidirectional pattern it would matter. I probably would just run a catenary line between the towers and drop a pair of wire elements for 40. If the verticals would support that, then you could get a unidirectional end fire pattern with 40M elements.

At 1/2 wave spacing, you are kind of stuck with limited patterns with very modest gain and no unidirectional pattern.
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