[TenTec] OCF antennas evolution

[Stuart Rohre]

Rick, I am fine with loops also, even 270 foot or larger.

Our club used up to 1024 foot horizontal loop for Field Days some  years 
ago when we had a large sports field.  Each year for several, we would 
make various loop lengths.  We had a small one of only 100 some feet 
each side, and others between the BIG one and this "small" one. 
Something 300 odd feet around was the one easiest for us to put up, 
using some lighting poles at the sports field in those days.  BUT, all 
our loops needed 3 corners supported, (or four).
We did more of the 3 corner versions.  The IDEZ (Zepp) could be 
supported at its center by one mast, and the ends tied off in tree limbs 
at relatively low heights.  It was placed for best effect to ham 
population centers which was a compromise with the loops.  We ran up to 
5 loops one year for 5 stations.

We did research and find that with a lightweight ladder, able to reach 
up to what we found was a workable height for Field Day antennas, (20 
feet) we could quickly run a loop legs as three straight runs with a 
pigtail at each wire end.  The pigtails were joined by wire nuts, and we 
were done in record time.  Trying to use one piece of wire to do three 
or four sides was too labor intensive in our hot climate.

We are mostly doing simpler 88 foot to 135 foot inverted Vees now, again 
due to labor time.  We have opted to set up the morning of the Field 
Day, thus must do what antennas we can, in about 3 hours.  This June we 
had 9 antennas up.  The 88 foot has been very good year before this, and 
so so with bad conditions on 20m June 22.  Did better on June 23, as the 
CME effects cleared out.  WE also had a bad mike on June 22 that was not 
discovered until later.

Antennas are fun and low cost when you make them locally, as we do.
We are using 14 gauge conduit solid wire down to 18 gauge stranded wire 
on shorter ones.  Our NVIS dipoles for 40m and 80m have multiple short 
canes supporting it, thus has worked well with paralleled strands of 
telephone wire, (cross connect pair wire).

Stuart Rohre
K5KVH