[TowerTalk] Anyone use a 120' qso king?

[Herbert Schonbohm]

Some would argue that putting ground rods at the end of radials doesn't 
really help.  In most cases you can do well, perhaps better with #12 or 
#14 THHN insulated wire laying on the ground.  You will only then need 
about 90-100 feet for each radial due to the velocity factor of the wire 
itself.  If you run out of space due to your lot size you can run the 
ends at right angles. It is important that the ends are not grounded. 
IMHO what you are trying to do is cause the ground system currents to 
travel in those wires rather than being dissipated in the earth thus 
improving the system efficiency.    You can pin the wires down with 
large galvanized nails, , pounded into the ground after a single turn 
around them. (U clips are also available by the hundred lot from 
DX-Engineering) Normally after two weeks the sod will cover them and 
they will be invisible and allow the lawn mower to pass over without a snag.

73,

Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ



On 1/22/2014 8:26 PM, Jim in Waco WB5OXQ wrote:
> I am considering trying the 120' qso king end fed antenna for multiband use.  I really dont needed it on 20,15, or 10.  Maybe 6?
> I have a 50' 25g with a triband beam on top and a 30' 25g 128' away.  This will have the wire running north to south so the side will be east/west.
> If I were to use one should I mount the main end at 30' so the wire will be level?
> If I mount the main end at 45' the wire will slope gradually down, low at the soutn end  will this cause poor pattern to the north?  Or will it behave like a dipole and be broad sided anyway.  I cannot feed the low end because that is 130' away from the shack and the high end only 25'
> I hope someone here has some experience with this type of antenna especially on the lower bands 160-40.
> There is a good ground available at the shack end 3 30' burried bare copper wire clamped to the tower legs.  There is no room for longer radials but several more could be added.  Each radial is terminated by a 6' ground rod.  I tried a inverted l but it was extremely narrowband and needed more long radials for the lowest bands.
>
> WB5OXQ, Jim in Waco, TX.
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