[TowerTalk] HF6V elevated

[Steve K4FJ]

Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 19:46:16 +0000
From: Rod Elliott <ve3irf at sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] elevated verticals....radial config.
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.2.20050613193005.055b5200 at pop6.sympatico.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

<This is a slightly revised version of a response I sent to Tom W8JI rather 
than the list, in error> :)

In support of current baluns on the feedline....

I've had success with a Butternut HF6V vertical mounted on top of a 25-foot 
tall wooden pole. There were a total of twelve resonant wire radials, 2 for 
10m, 2 for 20m, 2 for 30m and 2 for 40m. The wires in each band-pair were 
mounted 180 degrees apart. The twelve radials were fanned out symmetrically 
around the base, with the wires sloping downward at about 20 degrees. The 
40m radials provided a useable match on 15m.

The coax feedline ran straight down the pole, then ran underground about 60 
feet to the shack. Nicely symmetrical with respect to the radials (at least 
above the ground)

After running SWR curves for each band, I installed a current balun 
(several dozen ferrite beads) at the midpoint of the vertical section of 
the feedline. I then re-ran the SWRs and saw that the minimum SWR 
frequencies had changed a bit on several bands. I concluded that, despite 
lots of radials and good symmetry, line currents were indeed flowing 
initially, so I left the beads on.

This contraption worked quite well, giving me over 300 DXCC entities 
barefoot over an 8-year time span.

73
Rod Elliott VE3UW



We had an experience similar to VE3UW's using the HF6V on a wooden support, although the coax ran down it to the ground and across the ground to the shack at the old 8P9X station.  Worked just great.  Yeah, I know, the prefix helps, but this antenna broke pileups on 10 thru 20.

W4NL put it up for us.

73, Steve, K4FJ


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