Topband: 1/2 wave antennas, etc.

[by way of Bill Tippett <btippett at alum.mit.edu>]

Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2005 20:36:11 -0500
From: "Henry G. Elwell, Jr." <elwell at salisbury.net>
To: TOPBAND at contesting.com
Subject: 1/2 wave antennas, etc.

Just want to add encouragement to 1/2 wave antenna users, from a comparison 
viewpoint.  My original 160m antenna was a shunt fed 80 foot tower with 36 
1/4 wave radials.  It gave me my DXCC, and worked to my satisfaction.  It 
was necessary to abandon its use after awhile.  Not wanting to go to the 
trouble of relaying a similar radial field at another location on my 
property, I opted for a 1/2 wave  antenna, called the Lazy U, an English 
invention.  The middle of the wire was suspended in an 80 foot tree, 
with  top and bottom horizontal wires being in the same vertical plane, 
theoretically canceling their radiation.  A circular horizontal radiation 
pattern was generated.  The lower horizontal run was about 4-5 feet above 
the ground providing effective ground energy absorption ( not desired), 
depending on the ground type.  From an operating standpoint, however, I 
find that I can still work DX as I did with the 1/4 wave vertical and 
radials, and that's all I want.  I worked all the European, African, and 
Caribbean stations that I called, and had a great time for about five hours 
from 0100-0400Z Friday and Saturday nights.

     Some of you have asked about a contest program for the Stew-Perry 
contest, and I am remiss in not giving this information in time for its 
use.  I have been using the SuperDuper contest program by EI5DI for the 
past ten or so years for every contest that comes along including the 
Stew-Perry one.  It is an extremely effective and easy to use one.  I have 
just used it for the CQWW 160m contest with excellent result.  Paul, EI5DI 
is now offering it free for both his Windows and DOS version.  Try his web 
page at    <http://www.ei5di.com/>http://www.ei5di.com/ for more 
information on it.

-- 
Henry G. Elwell, Jr. - N4UH

Snowflakes are such fragile things, but look what happens when they stick 
together.