[TowerTalk] Verticals

[Goran Grubisic]

There were several submissions to this reflector regarding different multiband verticals,
mostly dealing with R7000 and HF9V.
Personally, I am very fond of my HF9V, it is exactly what I expected from the antenna
of that kind.
Idea of building a vertical antenna was occupying me for quite some time, but thinking
of 10 m long tubing for 40 m band somehow kept me away. I wanted a vertical that I
could errect alone, i.e easy to handle about, lightweight etc.
And then I came upon an idea to make a wire vertical extended along a combination
of aluminium tube and light carbon fishing rod. The supporting structure was thus made 
of 40 mm Al tube 6 m long and 7 m fishing telescopic rod (no rings!) of some 550 gr
only.
Radiating wire was 10,2 m long and tied to the fishing rod with the aid of self adhesive
insulating tape. Radial wires were 10,42 m long. I had four of them, but it will help if
you put as many as you can. Angle to the ground was, roughly some 45 degrees, as
the antenna was fed at some 7 m above ground. I used Cu electrical wire of 1,5 sq mm.
Performance was fantastic. Operating in LZ DX 1997 I took 1st place on 40 m. Sure, 
it is not a CQ WW, but 9A3MR made well over 1600 qsos in CQWW'97 on 40 m and
further 710 in ARRL DX'98 with it. Antenna is what I wanted it to be, cost is so low that you need not to have home
budget discussion prior to the construction and it sure is much better than all
those advertised miracles. Yes, it works single band only, but it works great.
Last but not least, antenna was left at 9A3MR contest location during one of the
high wind sessions which are common here (over 120 km/h). After some swinging
and dancing it is still where Rolando left it. Those carbon fishing rods of a new
generation...

73! Gogo-9A2OO

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