[SECC] Feeding 160 Meter Antenna

[Jeff Clarke]

I was going to try to put up a antenna for the ARRL 160 contest and got to
hinking  - why not use the zepp I use for 80-10 meters on 160 by shorting the 450 ohm
feedline , sticking my antenna tuner outside and running a few radials. It is far
enough away from the house that I should get out well enough to have some fun...

I was looking at the ON4UN antenna book and this would be considered to be a "T"
antenna . I have about 60 feet of vertical 450 ohm open wire feedline and 44 ft on
each leg of the antenna so 1/2 of the antenna would be not to far from being a 1/4 wl
Inverted L on 160.

I was looking for some tips on how to feed this so I don't have to stick my antenna
tuner outside everytime I want to get on 160. I was thinking of doing the following :

* Build a 2:1 UNUN and put it at the bottom of the antenna. The SWR is probably close
enough that I could get the SWR down with the tuner (bypassing the balun in the tuner
and feed via coax jack) in the shack.

* Get a variable air capacitor ( I think I need 500-800pf ??) and put it in series at
bottom of antenna. Anyone have a source around Atlanta or willing to part with one I
could buy ???

Anyone have any other tips/ideas???

     Thanks,  Jeff


ps :  Condx were real good here last night. I heard ZD8A and several EU stations Q5
with the antenna in the zepp configuration..

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Jeffrey D. Clarke 770-218-0278 email : ku8e@bellsouth.net


Please see my resume webpage at http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-ku8e

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