[TenTec] Open wire

[Gary Hoffman]

I think that a technical discussion like the one we have been having
is very interesting.  Certainly there is much room for divergent opinions
on the usefullness of item X vs item Y.  Sarcasm, on the other hand, is
unhelpfull.

73 de Gary, AA2IZ


----- Original Message -----
From: <n4lq@iglou.com>
To: <TenTec@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 2:51 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Open wire


> 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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