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Re: [CQ-Contest] station re-building, distortion when multiple 600 Ohm l

To: Jack Brindle <jackbrindle@me.com>, Contest <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] station re-building, distortion when multiple 600 Ohm lines in parallel?
From: Joe <nss@mwt.net>
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2019 08:32:10 -0500
List-post: <mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
I wonder if twisting one clockwise and the next closest one counterclockwise would aid in any coupling minimization?

They say open line is self shielding, but only to the extent described below. I remember growing up in the 60's when everyone had towers and big TV antennas and 90% were fed with 300 ohm "Twinlead"

I remember my Dad when he wanted signal to like a "Den" or Bedroom, he simply took some more twinlead and taped it for a foot or so parallel to the main feedline. No metal to metal contact, just tightly taped together, and hey it worked, the TV in the front room and other room would have just fine signals.

Joe WB9SBD
Sig
The Original Rolling Ball Clock
Idle Tyme
Idle-Tyme.com
http://www.idle-tyme.com
On 3/16/2019 6:42 PM, Jack Brindle via CQ-Contest wrote:
Most “600 ohm” open-line is not actually 600 ohms. I remember going through all the 
math of open line back in my Fields and Waves class in college. It needs spacing from other metallic 
objects in order to maintain its characteristics. I also remember learning directly from W1FB and 
W1ICP as to its benefits and how to handle it. I’m truly a believer in open-wire line (not so 
much for ladder line, although I use it). They affirmed that spacing is important in order not just 
to maintain characteristics, but to prevent signal loss and especially radiation. It needs to retain 
balance for that, something that my friend K9YC will tell you is hard to do, especially with 
antennas the way they are.

I would space the lines as far apart as possible on those supports. Several feet should do. 
If possible route them differently, since they will couple if run in parallel for long 
lengths. Be sure to twist the open-wire along the way. Parallel lines have not just 
“connections” to each other, but to ground and anything else along the way as 
well. If you look at power lines (60 Hz), on long distance runs they are transposed every so 
often so that each of the lines has more or less equal ground exposure. Open-wire is only two 
wires, but the twist will have a similar effect, equalizing exposure to other elements in the 
vicinity. You also might take some hints from the telephone pole users and put T-arms on your 
supports so that you can separate the open-wire runs horizontally as well as vertically. This 
will allow you to place more runs on the existing poles.

As K9YC likes to point out, everything is important; do your homework and make 
sure it is done right.

73!
Jack, W6FB


On Mar 16, 2019, at 3:43 PM, K9MA <k9ma@sdellington.us> wrote:

I think Holger means crosstalk, rather than distortion. The critical issue will be 
whether the feedline crosstalk is greater than that from the antennas. There may be 
ways to estimate the feedline crosstalk, but I don’t know without doing some 
research. However, it might be worthwhile spacing the wires for less than 600 Ohms as 
that will reduce crosstalk for a given distance between feedlines. The tradeoff will 
be slightly more loss due to more spacers.

73,
Scott K9MA

----------

Scott Ellington

--- via iPad

On Mar 16, 2019, at 11:48 AM, Jim Brown <k9yc@audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:

On 3/15/2019 7:08 PM, Holger Hannemann wrote:
Does anyone has experience with potential distortion when operating parallel
running open feeder lines?
Distortion requires a non-linear element in the signal path. Transmission lines 
are inherently linear. There IS the possibility of distortion in a ferrite core 
device used to transform impedance at either end of the line. Air core 
transformers would not have this problem.

I think you're right to be concerned about crosstalk between multiple lines 
running parallel to each other for these long distances, which will be in 
addition to the crosstalk between antennas. In any event, you will need serious 
filtering for amplifier harmonics just as with any other multi-transmitter 
station.

73, Jim K9YC
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