40 Meter Wire Antennas

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40 Meter CW

Center Frequency:   7.025 Mhz  20.73 Mhz 3rd Harmonic
Halfwave in space is:  70.04 feet 47.62 coax|57.43 twinlead
Quarterwave in space is: 35.02 feet 23.81 coax|28.71 twinlead

Quarterwave Vertical is: 33.31 feet 39.22 foot ground radials
Five Eights wave Vertical is: 85.84 feet 33.31 foot ground plane
Three Quarter wave Vertical: 103.35 feet 16.65 foot eighthwave

Halfwave Dipole/Vertical is: 66.62 feet 33.31 one side.
Halfwave Reflector is:  69.95 feet 63.62 for Director
Low Mount Halfwave is:  65.20 feet 32.60 one side.
Halfwave Folded Dipole is: 65.77 feet 32.88 one side.
Halfwave Inverted V is:  69.04 feet 34.52 one side.
Colinear Array is:  136.65 feet 68.33 one side.
Extended Double Zepp is: 171.67 feet 85.84 one side.

Fullwave Quad Loop is:  145.20 feet 36.30 one side.
Reflector|Director:  152.46|138.66 38.11|34.67 one side.
Fullwave Delta Loop is:  145.20 feet 48.40 one side.
Reflector|Director:  152.46|138.66 50.82|46.22 one side.

Waves 1: 136.65 |1.5: 206.69 |2: 276.73 |2.5: 346.76 |3: 416.80 |4 : 556.87
Waves 5: 696.94 |6.0: 837.01 |7: 977.08 |8.0:1117.15 |9:1257.22 |10:1397.30

17 Meter Wire Antennas

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Center Frequency:  18.110 Mhz  53.45 Mhz 3rd Harmonic
Halfwave in space is:  27.17 feet 18.47 coax|22.28 twinlead
Quarterwave in space is: 13.58 feet  9.24 coax|11.14 twinlead

Quarterwave Vertical is: 12.92 feet 15.21 foot ground radials
Five Eights wave Vertical is: 33.30 feet 12.92 foot ground plane
Three Quarter wave Vertical: 40.09 feet  6.46 foot eighthwave

Halfwave Dipole/Vertical is: 25.84 feet 12.92 one side.
Halfwave Reflector is:  27.13 feet 24.68 for Director
Low Mount Halfwave is:  25.29 feet 12.64 one side.
Halfwave Folded Dipole is: 25.51 feet 12.76 one side.
Halfwave Inverted V is:  26.78 feet 13.39 one side.
Colinear Array is:  53.01 feet 26.50 one side.
Extended Double Zepp is: 66.59 feet 33.30 one side.

Fullwave Quad Loop is:  56.32 feet 14.08 one side.
Reflector|Director:  59.14|53.79 14.78|13.45 one side.
Fullwave Delta Loop is:  56.32 feet 18.77 one side.
Reflector|Director:  59.14|53.79 19.71|17.93 one side.

Waves 1:  53.01 |1.5:  80.18 |2: 107.34 |2.5: 134.51 |3: 161.68 |4 : 216.01
Waves 5: 270.35 |6.0: 324.68 |7: 379.02 |8.0: 433.35 |9: 487.69 |10: 542.02

Hard to believe that I still have this radio in the shack ....

Balun for my 14AVQ?

Giving some thought to Baluns,


Original article is here   http://www.hamuniverse.com/balun.html


Came across this guy ...

Rather simple ,  take 21' coax and wind it around anything and you have it .

Why a Balun  ...

A balun's purpose is to allow connecting a balanced, (e.g., a dipole or driven element) to an unbalanced line such as coax which is not balanced, thus the name, Balun. The 1:1 choke "balun" is not actually a balun. It's function is to help eliminate rf currents from flowing on the outside of coaxial cable using the principle of choke action. Another "name" for it is the air choke.

In transmitting antennas, this is accomplished by presenting a high impedance (resistance), to RF currents flowing outside the coax shield. This forces currents in each side of a driven elements to be equal. This is especially important in beam antennas because it prevents distortion of the beam's pattern caused by unequal currents in the driver(s). In a simple dipole, the balun (choke), assuresthat the dipole, and not the feed line, is doing the radiating!
When you connect center fed antennas, like dipoles, V's, triangles, yagis, rhombics, loops and so on, to coaxial cable, unless care is taken, it is not difficult to end up with feeder radiation. Not only can the loss in power be quite significant, but the radiation characteristics of the antenna system will also be seriously compromised.
In laymen's terms, it won't be what you are expecting from the pattern of your antenna.
As the feedline becomes part of the antenna, currents can flow from the line into the mains and on TV cables, metal masts and yagi booms, causing a variety of EMI problems  that can be very difficult to trace. Frequently these problems are simply due to unbalance - and the solution is the humble air choke.
If an antenna system is fed at center with a parallel conductor line (provided that correct installation procedures are followed) balance will be maintained, USING A BALUN, with currents in equal and opposite phase canceling each other out.
When the connection is to a coaxial cable, WITHOUT A BALUN, this cannot occur because currents flowing inside the cable from the connection to the inner conductor are separated from those flowing on the outside from the connection to the shield, and the result is unbalance causing feeder radiation. However, if the two electrical circuit elements (antenna and coaxial cable) are coupled using a balan, balance will be maintained.

30 Meter Ant #s

30 Meter Wire Antennas

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This Band CW Only

Center Frequency:  10.120 Mhz  29.87 Mhz 3rd Harmonic
Halfwave in space is:  48.62 feet 33.06 coax|39.87 twinlead
Quarterwave in space is: 24.31 feet 16.53 coax|19.93 twinlead

Quarterwave Vertical is: 23.12 feet 27.23 foot ground radials
Five Eights wave Vertical is: 59.58 feet 23.12 foot ground plane
Three Quarter wave Vertical: 71.74 feet 11.56 foot eighthwave

Halfwave Dipole/Vertical is: 46.25 feet 23.12 one side.
Halfwave Reflector is:  48.56 feet 44.16 for Director
Low Mount Halfwave is:  45.26 feet 22.63 one side.
Halfwave Folded Dipole is: 45.65 feet 22.83 one side.
Halfwave Inverted V is:  47.92 feet 23.96 one side.
Colinear Array is:  94.86 feet 47.43 one side.
Extended Double Zepp is: 119.17 feet 59.58 one side.

Fullwave Quad Loop is:  100.79 feet 25.20 one side.
Reflector|Director:  105.83|96.25 26.46|24.06 one side.
Fullwave Delta Loop is:  100.79 feet 33.60 one side.
Reflector|Director:  105.83|96.25 35.28|32.08 one side.

Waves 1:  94.86 |1.5: 143.48 |2: 192.09 |2.5: 240.71 |3: 289.33 |4 : 386.56
Waves 5: 483.79 |6.0: 581.03 |7: 678.26 |8.0: 775.49 |9: 872.73 |10: 969.96

This is a shared band. Expect to find Commercial RTTY and FAX, especially Weather FAX transmissions on this band. Most international HAM signals will be found near 10.105, but Japanese stations frequently cluster around 10.130 Mhz.

Remote antenna sw

Its in the mail ...

I am going to run the existing 30 meter Vertical through this switcher then I am planning on adding a 30 meter dipole for comparison.   Not sure if I will do 2 more different 30 meter antennas but I do know one thing for sure its going to be really cool.  If this switch works out I am going to get the larger one with more inputs plus VHF/UHF capabilities for the top of the hill.  

14AVQ Troubles

 The 14AVQ vertical is not working well so I was reading on the internet and someone suggested taking ti apart an cleaning the traps and what not.     Its seems to work OK on 10m and 15m but  the TS690s really doesn't like the antenna on 20m and 40m.   The old FT101e  didn't mind the old antenna bit its not the same with teh new rig.       The 14AVQ VSWR on 10m is great ,  1.2:1 @ 28.1 MHz ... 15m is similar but 20 and 40 nothing below 2:1 VSWR.  

Thought I nailed the fault right off the first trap above the 10m section had a tab broke off the cover ...

So I came up with this fix ...

Also found something growing under the second trap ...

Cleaned everything up and put it all back together...

Unfortunately  it did not make much of a difference!    There is a very good possibility it may have something to do with the 500' run of LDF4 cable to the top of the hill where the antenna is located.  The next step is to try the antenna closer to the house with a different IFL.

Inspite of questionable performance on 20 meters I used the TS590s to make an SSB contact on 20 meters .... an ever so brief QSO with a guy in Cuba.