[TowerTalk] 43ft Vertical Feeding Question and Balun type

[Rick Stealey]

Michael,
It would sure seem to me that a 43 ft vertical is essentially a random length antenna.  
I saw the web site too where they offer a balun to go with it.  "It tunes all bands"
they say, WITH YOUR TUNER in the shack, or at the base of the antenna !!!
I did a quick and dirty check with 4NEC and got 122-j466 at the base on 20 meters, 
an swr of 38:1 !  A sweep shows an SWR of >9:1 from 7 to 15 MHz.  
On 40 m you get 150+j210, an swr of 9:1
On 80 you get 17-j257, an swr of 79:1 !!
So it would seem to me you have a lot of work to do to match this thing at the base.
It would not be a good idea to run coax straight into the house with a 79:1 SWR
and hope a tuner will fix things.
I know there is a guy in Chicago on 20 meters running one of them with no radials 
who comes into NJ 20 over 9 at times and claims no knowledge as to how he does it.
Guys he talks to rave about his rock crushing signal.  Wouldn't it be 
interesting to compare his signal in real time with his neighbor running a beam, or
a quarter wave vertical.  I mean.... the laws of physics haven't been rewritten
lately have they, and I missed out on it?
Rick  K2XT


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