I live in the country and don't have the money right now
for *real* towers and antennas so I have to make due and
make my own and get them as high as possible since I like
low band dxing.
Well I am not sure exactly what to call it but I think I
have run across a revolutionary new antenna design by
accident.
It meets all the requirements for limited space,
contesting, dxing and low cost budgeting all in one
antenna.
I will explain the construction as thoroughly as my
limited engineering vocabulary will allow.
I was in the middle of redesigning my wire antennas and so
I took them all down in hopes of putting them back up on
my new home made 60 foot mast
(another story all it's own).
Since I live in the country, I sloppily rolled all the
wire up into about a 10" bundle and hung it over the
chicken wire fence I erected for my wife's tomato garden,
just over one of the 4 foot metal "T-Bars" that makes up
the 3' gate I made for the garden along with the rest of
the garden fence.
It sits there hanging over the "T-Bar" even as I write
this, and I am copying Tony and the boys in Scotland on 80
meters clearer than I have ever heard them before when all
360' of telephone wire was strung out on 8 20' masts
around half the property and I had to put my head phones
on to hear them.
Now I am not sure if it's the rotted tomatoes, the goat
that I pinned in the garden to eat it out after tomato
season was over, the "T-Bar", The chicken wire or the 10"
roll of 360' of telephone wire.
I have it going directly to my MFJ tuner as a single wire
antenna.
I have not transmitted on it or moved the tuner settings
as I am afraid of messing it up before I can take pictures
and patent it.
I thought about calling it "The Texas T-Bar DX Tornado".
Any ideas would be appreciated on this BTW.
All I know is - I have Tony and the boys in Scotland in
here for a change at 10 over nine on the S-meter.
I have tuned around 40 a little also and there are
stations in EU coming in on CW at S5 there also.
Now what is *really* going to bother me is tomorrow after
I struggle to push the 60' home made mast up so I can tie
it off with bailing wire to my fence post after I put the
new antennas (all designed according to theoretically
acceptable designs) on the 60' mast and have to put on the
headset again.
Although I guess I could use it for a receive antenna.
In our hobby there is NEVER a dull moment.
73 fer nw,
Bob AD5VJ
10X# 37210, FP#-1141, SMIRK#-5177
http://www.n5iet.com/
Code may be taking a back seat for now,
but the pioneering spirit that put the code
there in the first place is out front of it all.
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather
Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
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