[TowerTalk] OWL?

Mike Warnock k7xn at cox.net
Fri Sep 26 17:02:16 EDT 2003


At W0AIH, we made our own ladder line that was derived from 14 ga phone line
as I remember.  Stripped and spaced with home brewed pvc spacers some of
these feeders were to antennas 500 to 800 ft from the shack from rhombics
and beverages.  Its so much more rewarding to make those difficult contacts
when you know it didn't come from a commercially built system.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Atkinson, K5UJ" <k5uj at hotmail.com>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Cc: <k5uj at hotmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 8:36 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] OWL?


> <<TT:
>
> I'm looking for a source of flexible open wire line, or of
> components to make same.  Ideas sought.>>
>
> W7FG sells ready to use open wire line.  it is 600 ohm with #16 stranded
> copper wire.
> I don't know how many strands but he has a website that tells all.  I use
it
> and run 1.2 kw at times with no probs.  try www.w7fg.com or look him up in
> QRZ.  I think he wants around 40 bucks for 100 ft. but don't hold me to
> that.  This is not ladder line, a.k.a. window line.  It is spaced about 3"
> with a spacer every 2 or 3 feet or so (they are easy to move around).  You
> can also make your own if you want to; it might be a fun project and you
get
> exactly what you want that way.   This stuff exhibits comparitively low
loss
> at high swr because of its balance so it's used often with single antennas
> that are operated on a lot of different frequencies and not always
resonant.
>   It is especially low loss compared to coax when used on frequencies
below
> the fed antenna's resonant frequency.  See Steve Ford's article in QST,
"The
> Lure of the ladder line."  This is why sw broadcasters continue to use it
> with their curtain antennas--so they can QSY but have low loss.  In my
> opinion, open wire line with a balanced wire antenna and balanced
transmatch
> is the way to go for multiband wire antenna operation.
>
> Rob Atkinson
> K5UJ
>
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