Here is how I did it, along with my reasoning behind the design. I have a tall ash tree and was able to achieve an 85' vertical run with an easy bow-and-arrow shot. I elected to build an inverted L a
More radials will reduce losses. Crudely put, they will reduce dc losses at the base and they will also reduce rf losses by capturing some of the rf that is radiated by the antenna but splashes off t
I would strongly suggest that you look at the electrical department at Home Depot. Among their wire accessory supplies, you will find some gray plastic staples. Each one carries two 1 1/2-inch nails
To correct my earlier posting: I stopped in at a Home Depot today to view the electrical service entrance staples I described earlier. First off, the manufacturer is Gardner Bender, NOT Gardner Denve
At my QTH in NJ I have the capability to mount a 500-foot, two-line, reversible Beverage running NE-SW. However, I am hesitant to undertake this project because the antenna would be entirely in the w
I certainly believe that having two separate lists would not be helpful to anyone. With a single list, the OT and the Newbie can use the delete key; the former if bored by the need to re-read a well-
Scott, My soil in northern NJ is pretty much like yours in eastern PA. My trees are a bit taller and I was able to get up an inverted L with a vertical run of 85'. I also wanted to work stateside, so
A disadvantage of using a fishing reel to store the line is that there is no easy way to limit the maximum travel of the projectile. Thus the line can end up in a tree beyond the targeted one, or in
I did it once, running 75 Watts through an antenna tuner to an 80-meter dipole with one end hung from a water tower in NJ. My most important souvenir of the event is in front of me--A W1BB QSL card g
When the fourth edition of ON4UN's book came out I wondered how different it might be from its predecessor. I listed how many pages were contained in each of a dozen or so chapters of the third editi
In advance of the forthcoming ARRL affair, let me propose the six-hour event on Wednesday, 1 December 2010 (in the Western Hemisphere), i.e., 0000-0600Z, 2 December 2010, offered each year by QRP Ama
Eddy, Interest is also on a sharp increase in the other direction. This week the traffic on QRP-L has been very heavy on the subject of 600m, where a few authorized experimental stations are active a
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vacuum-Variable-Capacitor-10-1200-pF-4kV-New-Box-/200563805228?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eb288cc2c#ht_2455wt_1139 ** I've just looked at this auction listing, as well as vi
I'd be grateful to learn the preferences of users of these devices. My set-up is 50-Ohm, 0.405" diameter (Wireman X-4XL) coaxial cable, underground, but within electrical pvc conduit. This attaches t
It seems to me that the days around the vernal equinox have always been good for DX. Using five Watts I enjoyed Q5 QSOs with 4Z1UF on 10 March and with HA9RE three days later. 73, Charles, W2SH _____
Paul, I will certainly second Jeff's recommendation. Those gray plastic junction boxes are made for outdoor use and are heavy-duty construction. They come in various sizes with the cover equipped wit
A careful reading of Rudy's piece does show that in a situation where you are, and must remain, totally compromised throughout a 180-degree sector, i.e., with zero radials, you can at least pick up f
Jorge, It has been my experience at this QTH in NJ that soldered connections outdoors do not do well with solder that contains lead. Over time the connections all turn dull and often the solder on a
Jorge, The short answer is the 120 18-gauge radials will be much more effective than the 40 radials. Consider two absurd examples: 1) all 120 radials are connected in parallel and laid in a single sh
of 60-135 feet, you were able to achieve a significant performance increase by adding four 50-foot lengths of four-foot wide rabbit screening (2" x 4"). What I see is that you achieved this by adding