[TowerTalk] Lightning Bolt quad antenna information

[Brad Anbro]

A long-time ham friend of mine (Gene, W9GD) is a resident in a nursing
home in Sterling, IL. The management has let him have a short self-
supporting tower outside of his room and on the tower is a Lightning Bolt
2-element quad antenna.

The quad was made with soft aluminum wire and I have had to repair
the wires two times. Luckily, I was able to reach the damaged portions
of the wires from the tower. 

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with these antennas,
in replacing the aluminum wire with copperweld wire. I am guessing that
the aluminum wire on Gene's quad is around 16 ga. and if I was going 
to replace the wire with Copperweld, I would probably use 18 ga. wire.

Would this reduction in wire size detune the antenna any appreciable
amount? What would one do to compensate for it? I am hoping to be
able to convert the aluminum wires to Copperweld this coming spring
or summer. Thank you very much for any help with this.

73,

Brad, N9EN
Roscoe (Rockford), IL