Topband: Vertical

[rick darwicki]

Experts needed,

I am using an old Create vertical mounted 20 feet above ground with about 60 radials of various lenghts. I removed the original Create 40 meter trap because it usually spit fire and extended the vertical to about 40 feet long. At about 33 feet I come off to a large homebrew trap with HV cap for 40 and extend horizontally to a wire with a similar 80 meter trap and extension for 160. A trapped inverted L so to speak. The base has a large DX Engineering choke.

The base insulators on the Create turned to charcoal when I tried to base load the original 40/80 vertical on 160. I put the top wire on after I replaced the insulator sleeves to keep a lower voltage at the base.

My big 3KW tuner will tune this arrangement 160-10 meters and I sold my Alpha 78. I run under 800 watts now with a AL-80B.

The L seems to be directional and has dead spots. I see 43 foot verticals advertised all the time.

Question: 

If I remove the wire and extended the vertical to say 43-50 feet and use the tuner on 160-10 do I risk blowing the insulators again? First time was with the three tube Alpha, which once melted the solder out of the center conductor of a PL-295 hi hi

Thanks




Rick, N6PE