[TenTec] Open wire

[n4lq@iglou.com]

Mention open wire feeders on this reflector and you'll get plenty of 
information. Seems like TenTec users tend to use the stuff for some 
reason. Perhaps TenTec users are likely to be more technically 
knowledgeable than those using other brands. 
Open wire feeders are cool. They make a ham station look like radio is 
really happening. A real open wire person should always mount a huge 
knife switch on the wall, run the feeder through it and hang some RF 
ammeters or lamps on the wire so something either moves or blinks. The 
effect is very impressive to visitors.
When I use open wire, I always keep my little Lafayette field strength 
meter handy. Hold down the key and move the meter around the shack. Watch 
it go up when you get around the rig. Watch the needle slam to the peg 
when you get near the feeder! 
Loops seem to be the tamest antennas with open wire feeders but those 
center fed zepps can really charge up the ole shack. Try feeding an 80 
meter dipole with about 60ft of open wire and see what happens on 40 
meters. The swr is sky high. Immediately the experts rave about how low 
the loss is, how easy it is to match, how all you need is a tuner etc. 
bla bla and there you are with computer noise, blinking florescent 
lights, 
keyers going wild, audio hum, flashing frequency displays and fried lips.

So on we go with ideas about using balanced tuners, current baluns, 
counterpoise, multitudes of ground rods, changing length of feeders, 
floating tuners, RF chokes, ferrite beads, special antenna lengths etc. 
and all the time we keep bragging about how our open wires are so 
efficient. I love it. Being surrounded by all that RF makes me feel like 
I'm really getting out however, recently I had to move my shack to the 
middle of the house and running open wire was not practical. Now I run RG-
213 to a 160m "windom" and joined the coax crowd. My little Lafayette 
meter is motionless, no computer noise, no burnt lips, no tuner 
needed....What a boring existence!

N4LQ

-----Original Message-----
From: "Paul DeWitte K9OT" <k9ot@mhtc.net>
To: <TenTec@contesting.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 10:52:40 -0500
Subject: [TenTec] Open wire

> I use open wire (the plastic windowed stuff) to feed a horizontal loop
> up
> about 40 feet on my tower. To keep the line from blowing all over in
> the
> wind I thread a 1/8 inch nylon rope through the windows every 2 or 3
> feet
> from one end to the other. I tie it to the support at the top that
> holds the
> loop and have an anchor at the bottom with a tarp strap hooked to it at
> the
> bottom. All of the strain is on the rope and the feed line doesnt flex
> so it
> lasts much longer.(doesnt break by flexing).  I think instead of
> worrying if
> the line radiates or not try it and if it works use it and if it dont
> try
> something else (personal opinion only). 73 Paul K9OT
> 
> 
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