[SEDXC] My Wire Antenna Installation and sources on the web.

Sat Aug 19 09:49:05 EDT 2006

I have done rather well with the products made by this guy.
This looks way better then me sitting down and making it myself.
http://www.antennasmore.com/
He makes the antenna's with the Flexweave wire which is a pleasure to work 
with.
It's not stiff, you can unroll the antenna out of the Zip Lock Bag he sends 
it to you and attach it to the end of the rope.
The only thing I didn't like is the cheep insulators on the end.
I upgraded the antenna to the Alpha-Delta Type that are very heavy duty.
I got those at R&L, but you can find them at Hamfests too.

I have there full size G5RV (204 feet) that covers to 160 Meters, and it 
works well using the Antenna Tuner in my Pro-III running 100 watts.
Going through my Ameritron ATR-30's when using the Alpha as works good too.

I have it as a flat top at 100 feet, going 100 feet across, and then 50 feet 
down on each side.
So it looks like a the letter "U" or a 1/2 Square that is upside down.
I find the weak point of  the antenna is the direction of the wire.
But I did manage to work 3Y0X on 40 and 80 once the pile ups were less.
I have the sides to Europe, and the antenna continues to amaze me.

The thunderstorms have been brutal in the Atlanta area this year.
It looks like the only way we get rain, its a real "Thunder Boomer".
To keep the antenna from breaking, I use some stainless pulleys I purchased 
at Home Depot.
One rope is shot over the two oak trees that holds the Pulley at the highest 
point.
The other rope goes through the pulley holding the antenna.
On the bottom of the ropes at about 6 feet off the ground I use "Mushroom 
Boat Anchors".
They are the most expensive part of the antenna, but when the wind blows 
they are more appealing then
anything else that I can think of, and they go up and down as the tree's 
sway.
The best price I have found on these Anchors are at this website.
http://www.lostbwanaoutfitters.com/anchor.asp
What I like about this setup, in minutes I can un hook the boat anchors, 
the antenna comes down, and I can try a different antenna.
I have tried multi-band with traps, and I keep putting the G5RV back up 
because it is so easy to tune on any band.

I use two 20lb Mushroom Anchors for the pulley rope, and two 15lb for the 
Antenna rope.
The offset in weight keeps the pulleys at the high point of the tree, and 
the antenna moves in and out of the pulleys depending on the tree/wind.
The G5RV is fed with Cable Experts 9913 RG-8 Coax, and this amount of weight 
on each end makes a nice flat top.
At the bottom of the G5RV Center matching stub, I use about 12 1/2 inch-ID 
Ferrites.
This keeps RF from coming back into my shack when running high power.
Here is a good website to buy these.
http://www.bgmicro.com/prodinfo.asp?sid=0350023148148148661565793&prodid=COL1066&page=1&cri=Split&stype=3
Not to many people sell them for 99 cents anymore.  You usually pay 2 or 3 
bucks at a hamfest, and more from dealers.
I get the Double Braded 3/16 rope in 500 foot spools from the Wireman for 
under 100.00
I used up a spool easily for this setup, and have a spare roll for repairs.

So that's my setup, and it handles the Alpha Amplifier with no problem.
I have been having fun working the DX on 40 and 80 Meters.
I also have been getting on 60M for some rag chews.

Antenna has made it through 50 miles gusts of winds with no problems so far.
Once we get into the Fall, I am going to shoot a pine tree that's over 100 
feet in my front yard and try maybe a "L" configuration or a "Loop".

73,
Keith, K4KAL

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Coleman" <aa4lr at arrl.net>
To: "JT Croteau" <jt.w6fo at gmail.com>
Cc: "*SEDXC Group" <sedxc at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2006 9:04 AM
Subject: Re: [SEDXC] Hy Power Antenna Company

>
> On Aug 17, 2006, at 10:34 AM, JT Croteau wrote:
>
>>  I
>> know I could build my own but all of my previous attempts at building
>> dipoles have failed miserably.
>
> Building dipoles is easy! 468/f gives you the number of feet. Then
> you have to trim the antenna. It takes a bit of cut and try, but it
> isn't hard.
>
> Of course, that's for one band. Trap dipoles are a little trickier.
> But I built a 30m/17m dipole this spring, and plan to add 12m trap
> this fall.
>
> Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
> Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
>             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901
>
> _______________________________________________
> SEDXC mailing list
> SEDXC at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/sedxc
> 