Topband: Half or Quarter Wave??

[PaulKB8N at aol.com]

Before doing anything else, consider a more robust tuner at the base, that  
is a high-current area whether the antenna is 1/2 or 3/8 WL.  A simple L  
network tuner with a #12 or #14 air-wound inductor and a variable capacitor 
with  at least 1000V spacing will provide much better performance IMHO.  You 
can  very easily compare performance with the LDG with a simple RF Ammeter 
at the  tuner output.  I have the Z-11 Pro and even a fairly modest home  
brew manual tuner produces stronger currents at the base of my inverted  L.
 
I assume your deer fence is elevated, perhaps 6' or so, I'd consider  
installing some insulators along the span of the top wire around your lot at  
about the 50' point and add a couple more wires diagonally across the lot for a 
 total of 4 50' elevated radials, even if they are asymmetric around  the  
base of the vertical.  Many have reported much better performance with  
length that approximates the vertical height of the L.  Be open to other  ideas 
from the group on the overall length adjustment, it has been discussed at  
length, no pun intended.
 
Paul, K5AF
 
In a message dated 1/5/2012 10:38:43 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
eckerpw at yahoo.com writes:
 
New to  the list and new to 160M. I have a 1/4 wave Inverted L that I have 
finally got  the bugs out of and it seems to be working fine. Vertical leg 
is 45' and  horizontal run is 86' for a total length of 131'. Have a LDG 
Z11Pro  auto tuner at base of pine tree that vertical leg runs up. 4:1 balun at 
base  of vertical feeding RG-213 coax to shack. I have a 250', three strand 
Deer  fence around the lot that I am using all three strands  as my radial  
system.


--- Question is should I leave well enough alone or would I  get better 
results on 160M by extending the horizontal leg, to  1/2 wavelength length??

73 and  Tnx
Paul
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UR RST IS  ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK