[TowerTalk] Insulated wire antennas

[AA4NC@aol.com]

While my station is not exactly what you want to model your construction
practices after (unless you have a duct tape fetish and aspire to be a roadie
for AC/DC), but I do have considerable experience with insulated wire
antennas. Check out the boneyard at Dayton - it's cheap ladies and
gentlemen...

I have used insulated wire antennas for a long while, and never had any
problems. In fact, in some ways insulated wire is much easier to use. It
kinks less, is cheaper ( I use #14 THHN from the previously mentioned Hara
boneyard), easier to modify the resonant frequency,and lasts longer in most
cases. In corrosive environments such as the Carribean, insulated wire is a
must if you want the antenna to be there for next year's contest.

I have found that it takes a little more cut-and-try to resonate a dipole
made from insulated wire (due to differing properties of the insulating
material), but once that's done, it works fine and lasts a long time. That's
always #1 and #2 with a bullet on my antenna Top 40 chart...



When last heard youy were 2 by 2 - bang bang, rifle shot,

NC
(Practicing up for the WSX contest...)

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