[Amps] QST Jan 06 (Off topic)

[Robert Chudek - KØRC]

Hello Doug,

Yup, your question is off topic for this group, but I hope the moderator will tolerate a few replies to your question.

When I read your question and look at your callsign & QRZ listing, I speculate you fall outside the "very seasoned 'professional' amateur operator" who populate this forum!  :-)

I strongly encourage you to try your hand at building that antenna, or any antenna, for that matter. Whether the result is a stunning success or hardly outperforms a standard dipole won't be as important as what you will learn along the way! Fabricating an antenna is similar to building an amplifier because it combines mechanics/fabrication, electronics/RF theory, and of course a bunch of magic!

You may want to join the TowerTalk reflector because that groups focus is primarily tower and support structures, but they also get into antenna discussions from time to time. Oh, and of course, how to determine "true north", bird deterrents such as "plastic owls", and how to prepare PL-259's and seal them properly. Fun stuff!

73 de Bob - KØRC in MN

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Message: 9
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:15:31 -0500
From: Doug <dcoffman at iquest.net>
Subject: [Amps] QST Jan 06 (Off topic)
To: "" <amps at contesting.com>
Message-ID: <1166476531.458704f35c8ca at webmail.iquest.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

All,

This is off topic for this group, however what is the consensus of the 17 
meter "Wonder Bar" antenna?

>From a stand point of low wind load and some directivity, this looks like a 
good project for my QTH.  I do have questions concerning tuning and spacing of 
the elements.  

First off, is this beam actually worth building?

I own the MFJ 249 (pre B version) and a Grid Dip Meter.  I would like to better 
understand how to tune the elements for resonance.

There were no formulae given or stated for construction of this beam or 
construction of a similar beam on another band.  A Google search did not yield 
much information.  I was contemplating ordering the older QST articles that 
were referenced.

73, 

Doug - N9XTF