Topband: Shunt feeding the Skyneedle - new developments

[Tom W8JI]

Since then I've moved the variable capacitor inside the panel and mounted it 
to a ¾" think Plexiglas sheet mounted to the back plane with nylon bolts and 
washers.  There is a 1" air gap between the Plexiglas and the backplane.  I 
now have seen the 42+j0 ohms change to 45 - j11 ohms...that's the lowest 
reactance I can tune the capacitor for. Not really sure if its +j11 ohms 
or - j11 ohms but I assume if the reading was + j11 I could continue to tune 
it out with the capacitor but I cant.

Does the capacitor not play well with a steel enclosure?>>>>

Any enclosure will change things, especially a metallic enclosure. Just 
readjust the cap.

<<<<The other strange situation I'm experiencing is when I connect my Array 
Solutions static bleed choke to the feed thru insulator at the outside of 
the panel to ground the resonant frequency jumps to 2.014 MHz at 25 +j0 
ohms...remove it entirely and I'm back to my 45 - j11 ohms.>>>

The choke is completely unnecessary with a shunt feed tower. It won't help a 
thing, so leave it out.

73 Tom