402-CD Questions??

[K7LXC at aol.com]

In a message dated 96-04-24 12:28:47 EDT, you write:

>My main interests are DXing and Contesting.  What I am wondering is: Are 
>there mods or adjustments to the 402-CD to improve the F/B??? Gain & F/B?
>I have been told that the F/B can be improved and it would be worth the 
>work. Comments?

Hi, Will --

      IMO there really isn't anything you can do to improve the performance
of the 402-CD   Real live antenna engineers spent many hours on the computer
and the antenna range to give you that design.  You might be able to improve
the F/B but the tradeoff would be degradation of one of the other parameters
(gain, bandwidth, swr, etc.).  I suggest that you can't improve the design
enough to justify the time and effort involved.  

     What you can do is make it more useful.  Instead of using the factory
dimensions, split the diffference between CW and MID and you'll have useful
bandwidth (Less than 2:1) from 7.000 to 7.250.  If you use the CW dimensions,
you'll have no phone.  If you use the MID dimensions, you'll have about 2.6:1
swr at 7.000.  It'll resonate about 7.075 and the swr at 7.300 will be about
2.5:1 if you use the secret LXC dimensions.

73,  Steve   K7LXC