Topband: Small lot antenna idea

steve d kc8qvo at yahoo.com
Thu Feb 8 23:40:11 EST 2007


Hello, I want to get some suggestions about this before I try it. I was going to do something similar to it earlier but I just havent got around to it yet. Anyway, a buddy of mine was telling me that I really need to get back on Top Band as conditions are at their peak. So I think I am going to take his suggestion and throw something up - quite literally HI.
   
  My buddy, KA1VHF, said to get a piece of wire as long as I could get up and then make a loading coil to match it. The only problem with this approach is it would be a VERY limited bandwidth. So instead of making a loading coil I started thinking of using my screwdriver antenna as the loading coil instead - after all, thats all it is, right? Only its motorized. 
   
  The plan is to use insulated wire and drape it over the house (no trees to speak of so unless I erect a mast or tower, or go into the neihbors yard I dont have any other support). The screwdriver would be at one end of the wire to load it. 
   
  The question now becomes how to I ground it? I could tap into the plumbing in the house, but then the wire would be laying right on top of the counterpoise. I dont know how that would affect the signal. 
   
  The other option would be to just string out a longwire from my room and use my tuner to load it. Then, use the plumbing as a counterpose. But again, the wire would have to go over the house. 
   
  I could go AROUND the house, but the antenna would be at the most 6 feet off the ground (accept where it would slope up to my second story shack) and 10 feet from the house. 
   
  Any ideas? Something that radiates is better than nothing, and something that radiates better is.. well, even better! But I have to make due with what I have.
   
  Steve, KC8QVO

 
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