[TowerTalk] 160M dipole idea for 160/80M?

[Jim Brown]

On Mon, 8 Dec 2008 23:31:40 -0500, Marc Tessier - VE3TES wrote:

>Just playing around with an antenna design , I found the plans for an 
80M version of such antenna on the net recently, and was wondering if 
this one might work for 160M as well, link >>> http://home.cogeco.ca/
~ve3tes/linear%20loaded%20160m%20dipole.JPG

>and would it be possible to make this into a twin band dipole by adding 
relays to short out the lengths of ladder line? as shown here as 
switches >>> http://home.cogeco.ca/~ve3tes/linear%20loaded%20160m%
20dipole-80switch.JPG

Interesting idea. It all depends on how much space you have. If you can 
string about 165 ft horizontally, the 160/80/40 dipole in this piece has 
worked really well for me in two very different QThs, and the loaded 
80/40 version worked really well both here and in Chicago.

http://audiosystemsgroup.com/LimitedSpaceAntennasPPT.pdf

You can buy the loading coils from "Hypower Antenna Co" -- see small ads 
in the back of QST or google to find his website. 

Another way to load (shorten) a dipole is to get some of the length from 
wires drooping down toward the ground from either or both ends. That 
doesn't change the pattern or the efficiency a lot -- the center of the 
antenna carries the most current and does the most radiating. 

73,

Jim K9YC
Santa Cruz, CA