[TowerTalk] Modified 4-Square Results Awesome- from N0AH

[Dinsterdog@aol.com]

Last August, (check August 99 Tower Reflector Archives) I posted construction 
details on my 80 meter 4-square.  I recently made a few modifications that 
proved some awesome results.

I lengthened the shortened verticals from 44 feet to 52 feet.  I raised the 
top hat wires from 39 1/2 feet to 49 feet, and changed their lengths from 18 
feet to 16 1/2 feet.

My resonant point, without using base loaded coils, dropped from 3.900MHz to 
3.650MHz.  My minimum SWR readings on each individual antenna at resonance 
dropped from 2.3:1 to 1.8:1.  The array's wasted power dissapaited into a 50 
ohm  dummy load (which measures the power effectiveness of the array) dropped 
from a minimum of 7% down to 3%, at the array's most resonant point.

This helped to improve bandwidth greatly.  I can operate the array in both 
the CW and SSB windows with less than 6% of power getting wasted into the 
dummy load.  I used to be at 7% inside the DX phone window and 20-25% in the 
cw window- (and that was using coils to bring down the array's resonant point 
from 3.900MHz to 3.800MHz).

I'm still using a shortened vertical top loaded design.  But just adding a 
few extra feet, eight in all, almost double the array's perfromance 
measurements.  I can't imagine how good it can be on an array using size 1/4 
wave verticals!

Worked 156 countries and all 40 zones last season (from 9/1/99-3/31/00) using 
the array.  Hoping next season will be even more fun- If you are thinking 
about putting up a 4-square array, feel free to email me at 
dinsterdog@aol.com if I can help- 73  Paul  N0AH

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