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Re: Topband: Antenna Question

To: rick darwicki <n6pe@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Antenna Question
From: Ashton Lee <Ashton.R.Lee@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2013 11:47:03 -0700
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
The 43 foot antennas are very short (low inductance, poor efficiency) on 160. 
Only my very best tuners will tune them… and tuning doesn’t make them 
efficient, it only makes them not destroy the radio with reflected currents.

The best solution is to top load a 43 food antenna and turn it into an inverted 
L. Of course, if you have trees, a wire will do the same thing without needing 
the 43 foot aluminum part.

KQ0C
Ash


On Dec 9, 2013, at 11:40 AM, rick darwicki <n6pe@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> My current LB antenna is an old Create 40/80 Vertical mounted about 20 feet 
> off the ground with a bunch of radials at the base. I removed the Create 40 M 
> trap and extended the mast to about 35 feet. At about 33 feet I have a 
> homemade 40M trap in a horizontal wire out about 85 feet with another 
> homemade 80M trap so the whole thing works on 40/80/160. I can tune it to any 
> band 160/10 with my Nye 3KW matchbox. I have a DX engineering choke at the 
> base. My 40M trap died, it was resonate at 7.15 and I made loaded 1500 W into 
> it at 7.160 chasing DX.
> 
> I had problems with the base insulators arcing when I originally tried to 
> tune it to 160 with a base mounted coil. 
> 
> I see a lot of hype about these 43 foot verticals doing any band 10-160.  
> 
> Do you think a Nye would tune my antenna to 160/80/40 if I extended it to 43 
> feet or so?  Base voltage problems?
> 
> I could also remove the traps and just tune it as a bent long wire but again 
> I worry about base voltages. 
> 
> Right now I'm considering rebuilding the 40M trap for 6.5 MHz but I'm looking 
> for other options. Don't need for it to work above 30M.
> 
> So........ what is my best option for 30/40/80/160 ?  No traps, making the 
> vertical 40-50 feet high, rebuilding the trap?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Rick, N6PE
> ======================================= 
> The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
> 
> Website:  http://www.qsl.net/n6pe/index.html
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