Topband: Inverted L in contact with leaves

[Don Kirk]

I use a 68 foot base loaded vertical wire and what I notice is a
significant downward shift in the resonant frequency during the summer
(like 40 kHz) when leaves are touching my vertical, and when the leaves
fall the resonant frequency comes right back up to where I originally set
it.  My feeling is that the leaves provide additional capacitive loading.
I’m using 12 gauge enamel coated wire so the insulation is very thin which
likely makes my antenna more sensitive to the presence of leaves.

Don (wd8dsb)

On Thu, Aug 29, 2019 at 12:41 PM Michael Walker <va3mw at portcredit.net>
wrote:

> Hi Pete
>
> You won't have an issue at all.
>
> 73, Mike va3mw
>
> On Thu, Aug 29, 2019 at 12:24 PM Gary Smith <Gary at ka1j.com> wrote:
>
> > I sure don't have any kind of superstation
> > but I have never been lucky enough to have
> > a 160 antenna in the clear. All mine have
> > always not only touched leaves, but are
> > always resting on branches, many branches.
> > I still get out pretty well, I wouldn't
> > worry about a few leaves coming in
> > contact.
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Gary
> > KA1J
> >
> >
> > > My inverted L is taking shape - about 60 vertical, the rest
> > > horizontal.  For a couple of months anyway, it is touching a number
> > > of leaves in the vertical section.  I assume that's not a concern,
> > > but thought I'd ask before I get a lot of radials down. First short
> > > radial is down and MFJ-259 results look promising.  It's just a
> > > problem of waiting for lawn mowing to stop hi.
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > 73, Pete N4ZR
> > > Check out the Reverse Beacon Network
> > > at <http://reversebeacon.net>, now
> > > spotting RTTY activity worldwide.
> > > For spots, please use your favorite
> > > "retail" DX cluster.
> >
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