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[TowerTalk] 40M rotary dipole

To: Dan Maguire via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] 40M rotary dipole
From: Dave Sublette <k4to@arrl.net>
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2017 12:40:20 -0400
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I have spent the morning working on a 40M dipole made from leftover Telrex 
parts.  I took careful measurements of the lengths and diameters of tubing 
entered the dimensions into Antenna Model.   The 1.5:1 SWR bandwidth is  175 
Khz and it centers nicely at 7075. The SWR rises only to 1.8:1 by the time you 
reach 7.3 Mhz.  I think it will work very well for me.  

Mechanically, the antenna is a bit more limber than I thought it would be.  I 
will have to add stays to hold the elements up.  I plan to use a double run of 
3/16” dacron rope with small end insulators near the element.  I would imagine 
that when rain and ice arrive, those stays would affect the performance when 
wet.

The thing is really big!  I put up a rotary dipole for 80 meters once that was 
shortened to 125 feet with end capacity hats.  This antenna isn’t near what 
that one was.  The 80meter one was 125 pounds and this one will be only 27 
pounds, not including the mount. But still, the 40M is a large antenna.

I’m now trying to decide whether to wind a balun or just coil a few coils of 
the feedline to keep RF off of the coax.  Do you have any preference?

thanks & 73,

Dave, K4TO

ps — my address system puts the name of an individual and then “via towertalk” 
and the list address.  I don’t know how it reads when you get it, but this is 
addressed to the list, not an individual.  I wish I could get to send just to 
the generic tower talk email address.
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