[TowerTalk] Minimum Elevated Vertical Height ?

[Paul Playford]

For my 40m 4sq I use the top rail from chain link fencing (1 3/8" dia x 10
feet long) to support the elements.  The far end of each radial is supported
at the top of a 4' long aluminum tube that slides over the end of a T fence
post.  The radials are horizontal.

At the base of each element support I installed a wooden gate hinge on a
small aluminum plate, the plate has a couple of 3/8" x 18" rebar rods that
secure it to the ground, the other end of the gate hinge extends into the
element support so the whole element can be walked up by one person (me)
with the top of the support guyed three ways.  This makes it very convenient
for tuning and maintenance.  (If your antenna doesn't require periodic
maintenance, it ain't big enough <grin>).

I use the Comtek phasing box to feed my array.  Rather than use the formulas
for cutting the 1/4 wavelength line transformers I actually cut them to a
1/4 wave length electrically.  As I recall the formulas say they are 28 feet
long but mine are closer to 25 feet.

A former neighbor used to manufacture Gladiator antennas and he built a
parasitic fed phased array.  We compared performance and found no
difference.  We are both DXers and are always looking for the weakest of the
weak.

de Paul, W8AEF

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <douglas.snowden at med.va.gov>
To: <w8aef at worldnet.att.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 8:25 PM
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Minimum Elevated Vertical Height ?


> Whar are they on - 4X4 3 ft deep?  Also, what are you
> using to switch them?  Your own network?
> I'd rather use a 4 square, but they seem rather complicated
> to get working.
>
>
> Doug N4IJ
>