[TenTec] magic wire antennas

[Curt]

Back in the 80's when I lived at a place where
everything, “antenna wise” was out including verticals
for reasons I won't get into, my only option "if" I 
wanted to operate was a B&W folded dipole. I worked
the world with that antenna and used it for 7 or 8
years before we moved to where I could put up a decent
antenna system. I got tired of people saying they were
dummy loads in the sky when I was having a ball
working the world with less than 100 watts. YES, I
know they are NOT as good as a mono bander or even a
dipole cut for a particular frequency, but they work,
and work good!   People who believe themselves self
ordained electrical geniuses telling me that they are
a waste because they don't work, drives me crazy. But
then again people are people and will believe whatever
they want to. Believe what you want including the
belief that B&W antennas are worthless while I look
over the tons of QSL cards  I received from all over
the world using that piece of crap.  

--- "jrhallas at optonline.net" <jrhallas at optonline.net>
wrote:

> Curt,
> 
> I am happy to share my opinion about the B&W "folded
> dipole". I have
> modeled one and think I remember that it is down
> about 10 dB compared to a
> resonant dipole, at least on the frequencies I
> looked at. That may sound
> like a "dummy load", but it still has benefit for
> some users:
> 
> 1. It has a relatively low SWR across all HF,
> without a tuner and thus is
> ideal for a broadband xmtr with untrained or
> minimally trained operator.
> 
> 2. Most of the time it will receive as well as a
> resonant antenna, since it
> is still in the region at which atmospheric noise
> limits the S/N.
> 
> 3. If a military user needs an additional 10 dB,
> they can just switch on
> the 10 dB PA and they're no worse off. 
> 
> B&W doesn't hide the efficiency issue too deeply in
> their ads, to their
> credit.
> 
> So, I can understand the desireability of such an
> antenna to some users,
> even though I would never want to own one.
> 
> 73, Joel Hallas, W1ZR
> 
> Original Message:
> -----------------
> From: Curt k3ey at yahoo.com
> Date: Thu, 07 Jul 2005 10:18:11 -0700 (PDT)
> To: tentec at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] magic wire antennas
> 
> 
> What’s really funny is I also remember all the talk
> that review caused about how it was a dummy load.
> Please then, someone on here explain why they are
> still in business selling their "dummy loads"? Why
> are
> they still being sold?  The B&W folded dipoles some
> people say are dummy loads too. They use them all
> over
> the world in government installations. So why are
> these dummies who make these dummy loads still
> racking
> in the cash after all these years, why oh wise men
> on
> here, why?
> 
> --- K5lxz at wmconnect.com wrote:
> 
> > Hello All,   I remember the Maxcom review in QST
> and
> > it reminded me of an 
> > anatenna I made back in 1973 that a now silent key
> > refered to as a "magic wire 
> > antenna".
> > We were asked to demonstrate ham radio at a
> > bicentennial celeberation and I 
> > made a wire antenna for 80 meters that was made
> from
> > 'steel' electric fence 
> > wire.   This antenna was broad (low swr) from one
> > end of 80 to the other.  Truly 
> > I thought for a few moments that we had discovered
> > what everyone had been 
> > looking for.
> > Only problem was the kwm2 could not be heard
> outside
> > the confides of the 
> > operating position.   Yep!  just another dummie
> load
> > that made me feel like the 
> > dummy.
> > 73s all and good dx,
> > Ray
> > W5EW
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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> > 
> 
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