[TowerTalk] new qth - new problems

Frank T. Brady ftbrady@usxchange.net
Sat, 10 Oct 1998 19:01:14 -0500


Hi towerlalkians

 I left the list a few months ago to seriously pursue a job and I found one
as a contract programmer here in Wisconsin (family is still in CA until I
evaluate how permanent this is going to be).

 I was lucky enough to find a rental situation where I share the 1st floor
of a huge old house - and the landlord agreed up front to let me put an
antenna up!

 Because I want to try all bands from 80 thruough 10, I've decided to stick
with an end fed wire for the time being (easiest and least intrusive without
the need for a feed line draping down from open space).  It can be about 135
feet long and 40 feet high (strung from the house out to a giant tree in the
next door neighbors yard).  The coax feed line would run from my window up
to where the flat top is attached to a small mast atop the roof about 35
feet high.

 I had an antenna like this in an apartment situation when I first returned
to ham radio back in 93 and an old timer suggested that I get rid of my
stray RF problems by feeding it with 52 ohm coax and a current balun between
the flat top and the coax.  It also required a "fan" of quarter wave radials
(one per band) routed more or less in the opposite direction of the flat top
with their common juncture attached to the open end of the balanced side of
the balun.

 The antenna seemed to work great, but the apartment manager caught me and
ordered it down before I was able to give it a good test.

 My question to the list is whether or not any of you guys have heard of
this or, better yet, tried it and can pass along comments or point me to web
articles on it.  I think I have to stick with end feed to be a good
neighbor.  If things work out here, I have permission to put an array of
some sort on a small mast atop the house (it has a great flattened roof area
about 6x20 feet).  But that's later, this is now.

 Hope everyone's been well and enjoying this great hobby!

73
Frank T. Brady W0ECS


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