[TowerTalk] Slopers, half slopers, (using the tower)

[Jim Vining]

Hi Roger,

         1/4 slopers work well for the amount of wire and the simplicity of 
the
antenna. I used them for years and worked a lot of countries with them on
40, 80 and 160. But with your tower height, there are a lot of options that
would work much better. Not all as simple but better performance. The more
1/4 slopers you have on the tower the more they will affect the pattern and the
performance of them. As far as where to mount them, I have found the best
place as far as height and such is WHEREVER THEY WORK is the best. As
you move them up and down and change the angle, you will find many places
that they will not work at all.
         With a tower of yours, I would personally go with a shunt feed for 
160.
I think it would out perform the sloper.

                                                 Jim  N8JV




At 08:57 PM 9/25/04 -0400, you wrote:
>Any one have experience with "half slopers"? (half of a half wave with the 
>tower serving as the other side)
>
>Yesterday I installed a half sloper for 160 and am quite pleased with the 
>results.  The feed point is roughly 96 feet and the angle is close to 45 
>degrees on the South side of the tower.
>
>According to the "Antenna Handbook" there is some gain away from the tower 
>through the antenna.    I'm thinking of installing two more. One to the NE 
>and one to the NW.
>
>Currently I have a half wave center fed sloper on 75 to the NE which works 
>quite well into Europe.
>
>I have about zip for background on the half sloper and wonder how they 
>compare to the center fed half wave sloper.
>
>If the performance of the half sloper on 160 is any indication I'd expect 
>it to compare favorably with the center fed half wave version.
>
>What I'd really like to do is get half slopers up on 75 as well if they 
>perform well, but then I have concerns about interaction and what would be 
>the best height on the tower to anchor the ones for 75.  The added bonus 
>would be getting rid of those big loops of coax to the feed points and the 
>weight that causes the half wave center fed slopers to sag.
>
>Any thoughts or suggestions?
>
>Roger (K8RI)
>

*****************************
Jim Vining  N8JV

Web: http://www.n8jv.com/
E-mail: n8jv at comcast.net
*****************************