[TowerTalk] Dipping The Tower

[Bill Turner]

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2006 05:44:10 -0700 (PDT), John Cowan <w0tmm at yahoo.com>
 wrote:

>I have installed a shunt wire 16" from my 68' tower. I grounded the shunt wire with the two loops in the wire as is show Low Band Dxing. But, when I attach the dip meter coil to my MFJ-269 and put the dip coil inside the shunt wire coil, I cannot find a "dip" anywhere for the resonant frequency of the tower. I have made the shunt wire loop smaller and adding more turns to the loop. Nothing works.

------------ REPLY FOLLOWS ------------

The "dip" coil from MFJ is a total waste of time. I have one and found
it to be completely useless. Others have reported the same. Throw it
away.

Either use the MJF as an SWR analyzer (recommended) or get a real dip
meter like a Heathkit, Eico or Millen. A major problem with dipping
antennas is they are very low Q compared to a parallel resonant
circuit, so the dip is broad and shallow and hard to observe.

Bill, W6WRT