[Amps] Non-resonant antennas

[Catherine James]

Steve Wright <stevewrightnz at gmail.com> wrote:
> Cathy James N5WVR wrote:
>> I use an ATR-30, which will tune just about anything.
 
> What is the fixation on this list with antenna tuners?  You lot are
> starting to sound like a bunch of rich appliance operators!  Almost
> every thread has reference to a verrry expensive antenna tuner!
 
> Surely most multi-band yagi's, 1/4y verticals, plain ol' dipoles, and
> any other competitive HF antenna that you would WANT to poke some
> horsepower into is gonna have <1.5:1 SWR?

On 160 meters, it's not practical for me to have an antenna that is 1.5:1 or better
SWR across the band.  My inverted-U location cannot support a cage dipole or
two dipoles in a fan arrangement.  The most practical wave to cover the band is
with 450 ohm window line feeding a deliberately-not-resonant antenna about 270 feet long.

Prior to putting up my new hexbeam last fall, my primary antenna for 10 through
80 meters was an inverted vee about 150 feet long, fed with 450 ohm window-line. I
only have one really good location for an inverted vee or dipole like this, so I need
the antenna to be multiband.  With the tune and window line, it works great. It's still
my primary antenna for 30, 40, and 80 meters.

I have no IMD issues either.  The rigs and amps always see less than 1.2:1 SWR,
and I routinely get on-the-air comments about how good my audio sounds.

If you have room for a resonant antenna on every band you work, enjoy your good fortune.
Most hams don't have that luxury.

73,
Cathy
N5WVR