Topband: 160M Beverage antenna help requested

[Jeff Woods]

One cautionary note on using window line for beverages:  


I tried window line last year, unsuccessfully, for a 2-wire bi-directional beverage.  While the electrical performance was satisfactory, the increased wind load area of the ladder line made it impossible to keep operational.  Initially, it broke free from the termination and feed points.  After several rounds of improvements on the connections, eventually the line itself broke.  This was the good stuff, too - heavier gauge stranded wire.   


I'm out in the open plains of Iowa where the winds are strong and steady and the ice/snow load adds to the problem.  My normal beverages using 17 ga. aluminum electric fence wire occasionally break, but it's infrequent enough to be tolerable.  The window line beverage needed to be repaired nearly every week until it was decommissioned for good.  In a more benign environment this type of construction can work.


73,
Jeff - W0ODS




>________________________________
>From: "wa3mej at comcast.net" <wa3mej at comcast.net>
>To: topband at contesting.com
>Sent: Tuesday, November 8, 2011 2:56 PM
>Subject: Topband: 160M Beverage antenna help requested
>
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>Good afternoon to ALL! 
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>I am getting ready to put up a beverage for top band.  I have decided that I want to put up a two wire system 
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>using window line because of the ease of assembly.  I am not sure if I will use it in the null steering mode 
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>or just switch from front to back. I will decide that after I get it up. 
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