Topband: Top Loading Advice

[GEORGE WALLNER]

Robert,
I would leave it as it is.
I have experimented a lot with sloping top-loading wires and found that 12 - 
14 meters (~40') is about right with a 55' vertical section. The only thing 
I would do different is use two #14 wires, one on each side of the 
spider-pole for a bit wider bandwidth lower losses. And, of course, add more 
radials :-)
73,
George,
AA7JV/C6AGU


On Sun, 17 Mar 2019 22:01:54 +0000
  "Chortek, Robert L." <Robert.Chortek at berliner.com> wrote:
>Fellow Topbanders,
>
>
> I just finished replacing my damaged base loaded vertical and have a question about the optimum amount of top loading.
>
>
> A bit of background - my new vertical is a 55' #12 wire supported by a 60' Spiderbeam fiberglass pole.  At the top there are 2 -41' top loading wires running roughly at 180 degrees from each other, angling down at about 45 degrees.  The ends are at about 25' . Since the resonant point is about 2 MHZ, I am still using an air core base loading coil 6" in diameter made of No. 8 solid copper wire to bring it to resonance at 1825 MHZ.
>
>
> I could lengthen the top loading wires somewhere between 
> 4 - 10' each (and reduce the amount of base loading needed), but it will bring the ends to within about 15' and  20' of the ground.
>
>
> My question is this:  At what point will lengthening the top loading wires and bringing the ends closer to ground offset the improvement gained by reducing the amount of base loading?
>
>
> As it is, the antenna is a HUGE improvement over my base loaded vertical (on the order of 6-9 db from stations in the RBN within the ground wave).
>
>
> Should I leave it alone and be satisfied with the improvement or lengthen the top loading wires. If so, by how much?
>
>
> Thanks in advance from any advice.
>
>
> 73,
>
>
> Bob/AA6VB
> _________________
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