[TowerTalk] Twinlead- Zepp

[Bill Aycock]

Ian- you have (mostly) fit into my own feelings about the use of the 
name"Zepp". As I exsplained to another Ham, I have received about five 
conflicting definitions. Of all the posts I have received, yours makes 
the most sense.
Bill-W4BSG

Ian White G/GM3SEK wrote:

>Tom Osborne wrote:
>  
>
>>The most common is probably 'center fed zepp.'  Other names include 
>>the 'tuned doublet' and 'dipole with tuned feeders.'"
>>    
>>
>
>That's about normal: given a choice of three names for something, radio 
>amateurs will ALWAYS choose the one that creates the most confusion.
>
>The original zeppelin antenna was intended to be trailed behind an 
>airship, so it was definitively END-fed. More specifically, it was a 
>half wave, end-fed through a quarter-wave of twin open-wire to keep high 
>RF voltages away from all that hydrogen. In other words, it was a 
>trailing J-pole.
>
>Earthbound hams and others adapted this idea to make a horizontal 
>antenna which was end-fed with mostly vertical open-wire... and OK, that 
>is still recognizably a zepp. But then somebody tied a second wire to 
>the open end of the feedline, and called it a "double zepp". Since this 
>is the most confusing and inappropriate name imaginable, it's the one 
>that hams have insisted on using ever since.
>
>Let's get back to basics here: you're not using a zeppelin antenna 
>unless your ham station (a) can fly, and (b) can go up in a fireball. 
>That should narrow it down.
>
>
>
>  
>

-- 
Bill Aycock W4BSG
Woodville, Alabama