[TowerTalk] B&W Folded Dipole

[Tom Rauch]

> Just curious if anyone has experience with the B&W BWD 1.8-30 folded
> dipole.
> 
> It sounds like a nice multiband antenna and would fit well in my remote
> controlled station.  But does it really work.  Anyone out there have
> experience with one?
> 

Hi Richard,

The B&W is a "hot topic". If you look in the archives of any antenna 
reflector or antenna newsgroup you will find many posts.

The B&W obtains bandwidth by swamping the feed system with a 
resistor. Any time that is done, efficiency is lost. The B&W 
antenna is not much more than 50% efficient on any band, and as 
poor as less than 10% efficient or less on some bands.

While it does have "gain" over a half-wave dipole on higher bands, it 
will NOT have gain over a dipole the same physical length on ANY 
band. It will always show loss compared to the same size antenna 
without the resistor.

If bandwidth is important and you don't care about signal levels, 
you might consider one. Or you might consider just putting up a fat 
dipole with a resistor across the feedpoint, it will work about the 
same and be cheaper to build.

 



73, Tom W8JI
w8ji@contesting.com

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