[TowerTalk] 80 meter antenna

[Chuck Lewis]

Tom, 

Setting it up as a half-wave inverted-L and feeding at the center should
work well. I am very happy with mine. If you only plan to use it on 80/75M,
you can feed it with coax, but be sure to decouple at the feedpoint; I use a
large type 31 split bead with as many turns as I could put through it. Dress
the feedline away from the vertical member (and/or pull the vertical element
off to the side...that won't distort the pattern much). If you can feed with
ladder- or window-line, you'll be able to use it on other bands. I have
found it to be a fine compromise antenna for both DX and domestic paths.
It's especially compelling if you're unable to build a ground plane.

L.B. Cebik wrote an article on this antenna ("The all-band inverted-L"). His
models included off-resonant bands for use with open wire feeders, but I
have had great results with coax feed and limiting operation to 80M.  You'll
hear lots of "But you HAVE to use radials" comments. Au Contraire - as a
half-wave, fed at the center, this is a 'complete' antenna; and it is easy
to try, especially if you already have the dipole. Let us know what you
think, if you do try it.       

Chuck, N4NM


-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Tom Osborne
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 11:23 AM
To: Towertalk
Subject: [TowerTalk] 80 meter antenna

Hi All

Right now I have an 80 meter inverted 'V' up about 80 feet or so in a tree. 
It seems to work OK.  The problem is, the way it is set up, the 2 ends of
the antenna are only about 30 feet apart, kind of like a V-beam.

Is there a way to orient it different that would work better.

I could set it up as an inverted 'L' and feed it in the center, or as a 'C',
with the center part vertical and the ends horizontal.  Would any of these
be better than what I have now.

Main interests on 80 meters are contesting and working DX.

No modeling software here.  Thanks and 73 Tom W7WHY



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