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Re: [TowerTalk] 80m Delta loop on 70' tower

To: "Tower and HF antenna construction topics." <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 80m Delta loop on 70' tower
From: "F.R. Ashley" <gdadx2@clearwire.net>
Reply-to: "Tower and HF antenna construction topics." <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 22:01:50 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Hi,

I also had a full wave 80-meter delta loop a few years ago.   I first used 
it with a 75-ohn stub for use on 80 meters only and had great success with 
it; it was fed in the upper corner.   Mine looke like an upside down 
pyramid.   I later removed the matching stub and fed it with 450-ohm line 
for multi-band us with a tuner.   It was one of the best antennas I've ever 
made, and next spring I'm going to put up one here at this QTH.

73 Buddy WB4M

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jon Casamajor" <k6el@comcast.net>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 80m Delta loop on 70' tower


> Hi Stu,
> I did exactly what you are describing several years ago.  I thought I had
> documented the design but, darned if I can find it right now.  The antenna
> was a full wave 80m delta loop cut for the low end of the band. I was
> chasing 5BDXCC and CW was where I did most of my operating.
> The loop was pretty much equilateral with the apex at the top of my 
> HDX-572
> tower.  I make it fit, I tilted the loop out probably 10 to 15 degrees. I
> used an Almond tree on one end and a 15' pole on the other end for 
> support.
> The base of the triangle was probably 12-15' above the ground.  I fed the
> loop 1.4 wave down from the Apex on the left side looking at the loop from
> the tower.
> ______
> |    /\
> |   /  \    Not to scale but should
> give you the picture. where X is the feed point;
> |  /    \   The loop was actually
> pretty much equilateral...diagram isn't.
> | /      \
> |/        \
> /|         \
> FEED POINT  ----- X|          \
>     /______________\
>                              |
>                              |
>
> I used  a length of 75 Ohm RG11 I think it was to match the loop and at
> 3.505 it shows about 50 ohms  and 1.1:1 VSWR.
> I used this antenna on both cW and phone with a tuner for 75m. it was not 
> at
> all optimum on 75, but it would radiate pretty well. On CW this antenna 
> was
> an absolute killer and with my Henry 2K-3 I didn't wait in line too long 
> in
> pile ups.  This feed point will give you vertical polorization so it isn't
> the best receiving antenna in noisy conditions and I often used my 2 el 
> 40m
> Yagi to listen to weak signals with pretty good success.
> Getting one of these loops up and tuned takes some effort, I think I had 
> to
> whittle on the length 3 or 4 times but once you have it up and singing, 
> you
> will not regret the effort.  Mine, unfortunatly came down in a wind storm
> just a couple of years ago and I have never put it back up.  It helped me
> get that 5BDXCC which was the mission.  The full wave loop is a real 
> killer
> if you can keep it up.
> I'm sure with a litle research you can find the formula for the RG-11
> matching stub. From memory it was in the neighborhood of 20 something feet
> and I think the design was from one of the ON4UN articles.  Good luck, you
> will love the loop on 80m!
>
> 73,
> Jon
> K6EL
>
> "Politicians are like diapers...they both need changing often and for the
> same reason"   Mark Twain.
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 14:28:06 -0600
> From: Stuart Browne <stuartpbrowne@gmail.com>
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Feeding a Delta Loop
> To: TowerTalk@contesting.com
> Message-ID:
> <b2cae9c11002031228p130b557epef24b523efc00c86@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> I'm looking at installing a Delta Loop for 80 m. on my 75' tower. The low
> end of the triangle will be about 20' off the ground ( the tower is on my
> rooftop (flat).  I know that the conventional wisdom is a feed point in 
> the
> center of the lower side of the equilateral triangle which is around 50
> ohms.  ON4UN describes feeding a DL at 1/4 wl from the Apex of the 
> triangle
> to achieve a 23 deg take off angle (which is what I'm after).
>
> I'm looking for any "real world" feedback as to the pros/cons of feeding a
> DL at the apex, lower center, corner or 1/4wl from the apex.
>
> 73's,
> Stu
> WH6H
>
>
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