[TowerTalk] 40 meter sloper question

[Dale Martin]

> Hi Kirk: My understanding is that a sloper working against a 
> tower is a sort of dipole with the tower as one part and the 
> wire as the other. I have found that the sloper usually must 
> be greatly different in length than 1/4 wavelength to achieve 
> a low SWR. The tower is very much part of the radiator. I 
> think your tower is the main radiator and the sloper is a 
> matching system which does very little radiating. I think you 
> have a good system of loading your tower at present.
> 73, Dan, N5AR

Also, isn't whatever beam(s) you have on the tower top a significant factor,
acting as a tophat?  

I noticed when I changed out a TH6 (damaged) for an A3 and later for an F12
C3E the my 80m 1/4-wave half-sloper was affected.  I don't recall if I had
to lengthen or shorten it, but it did make a difference.   

My sloper feedline and antenna node is on the very top of one of the legs of
my Rohn 25G pointy-top where it slopes to meet the mast tube.  

Maybe that's Kirk's problem.  His quad is not acting as much as a tophat for
the sloper as a beam might. 

Kirk:  I have heard of people extending a mast high enough above their
beam/quad for a wire antenna to clear.  It's bizarre and I don't know if it
really works, but might be worth a look. 


73,
Dale, kg5u