Topband: Half sloper.

[WD8DSB@aol.com]

Ted,

I had the opposite problem that you had.  I put up a 68 foot 1/8 wave half 
sloper for 160 meters (it is an electrical 1/4 wave with inductive loading at 
the feed point).  You can see my actual antenna set up in the March 1998 
issue of QST.  My tower is only 40 feet tall, and I have a TA33 mounted on 
top.  This antenna loading up just fine without an antenna tuner.  Others 
have also duplicated my antenna design without problems.

I then tried a full size 1/4 wave half sloper on 80 meters, and I could not 
get the SWR below 3:1.

My tower is tied to an 8 foot ground rod, and no radials.

Not sure what you should do to solve your problem.  The problems you are 
having is the biggest problem I have read about regarding half slopers.  
Sometimes they work just great, and other times people have problems getting 
low SWR.  I am sure there are many factors involved such as location on the 
tower, tower height, angle of the antenna, ground/radials, tower top loading, 
etc.

Sure would like know if you find a solution.

Good Luck,
Don Kirk (WD8DSB) 



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