On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 19:33:03 GMT, zeno wrote:
OK, the 540' loop will be up as high as I can get it with these telescoping
masts, somewhere between 45-55 feet at each corner. How will this be for
bands other than 160m (either with the Johnson or my Kenwood ATU (+current
type balun)? As mentioned I have the real estate to try several antennas
here.

Hi Bill,

Above 80M it should be gangbusters. However, you may wish to look
into Rhombic designs given the vast footprint available to you to
experiment with. This will be more directional, more gain for the 30M
bands and above, so you will want to investigate what direction that
should be (don't guess using a flat map either). It would be roughly
the same shape, only more diamond than haphazard square. Such a
design shouldn't hurt your 160M loop prospects, but would optimize the
higher bands (where formerly you were just going to take what came
with the turf).

With a lot more wire (and work), you could get into the Fish Bone
Array, or a wire Log Periodic Array. Both would, again, be fixed
direction so planning ahead is again seen in the XTAL ball.

I am curious to find out how the loop will work. I only call it 160m
because of the length of the wire. There were a handful of websites
expressing enthusiasm about this antenna.

What choice did they have? Such is the fallacy of testimonial. As
the saying goes, if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a
nail.

Another plan is some kind of antenna on a rotator. Any ideas of how to
engineer some kind of beam (light-weight) or something similar atop one of
these 50' telescoping tv masts?

That would have to be WARC bands and 10M, probably; otherwise you are
dreaming in technicolor and surround-sound.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC