[TenTec] Antenna Help

[Greg S via TenTec]

>From my experience- - the 80M Skyloop is the best "near-in" antenna you  will find for 30M-80M. It becomes more of a DX antenna, the higher you go in frequency, due to lower take-off angles. Some nulls and peaks, but at that distance, it doesn't seem to matter much.... they get filled in. Again- FROM MY EXPERIENCE:

- What kind of wire should I use for the
loop antenna; 14-16 Ga stranded, insulated wire. Copper.

- What type of rope that will hold up to
the UV and time (so much just falls apart these days): Buy a roll of string trimmer line. Mine has been up over 5 years, with nary a break. Buy  GOOD, REAL RUBBER bungee cords, and use them at the connection to the loop antenna.  Stress relief. Do this no matter what wire/rope combo you use.

- What balun, 4:1, 1:1 ?: 1:1... a GOOD one. Comtek, Balun Designs, DX engineering.... there may be others.

- Is 450 ohm feed ladder line the best to
use? This part will be about 80 feet long. Will this length be a problem?: It will work fine. I prefer the 600 Ohm true LAdder line, that was originally made by W7FG. Search, you will find it. The 450 Ohm will show some change in matching when it is wet, snowy or icy. Not a big deal. Make a nice, rugged stress relief coupling at the antenna feed point. Strap the feed line to the balun rigidly so it does not flex at connection. Waterproof them with lotsa goop.

- Has anyone ever had any issues using
delrin for the insulators? Is there a better?: Yes, UHMW plastic. Delrin will get brittle from UV over the years. If you must use Acetyl, get glass filled.

- I am thinking about placing a screen door
spring on each corner to allow the trees to sway in the wind? anyone ever tried
that. Or should I just counter weight to opposing corners of the loop?: See above about GOOD RUBBER bungees.

- How?s the best way to protect this
setup from lightning?: Don't ground anything in the shack. If it's not grounded, why would lightning wanna hit it? (THINK about it).

Thanks in advance for any help!: Welcome. Greg, KC8HXO



73

Don kb3drw