On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 21:25:24 GMT, Roger
wrote:

On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 23:20:19 GMT, "Bill Ogden"
wrote:

I intend to try a half sloper on my TX455 tower (with a tribander on top).
I can connect the sloper to the top of the tower (about 55 feet up) or to
the top of the middle section (about 38 feet up). Other things being equal,
I would prefer the middle section (for maximum separation from an inverted V
connected to the top section and at right angles to the sloper). The tower
is grounded and will have a reasonable number of radials (when I can figure
out how to best attach them).

I know that half slopers have been debated here and many other places and
provide considerable confusion for most of us. I think I understand that
the tower provides most of the radiation and the sloper wire is more a
matching device than a radiation device. Should I expect significant
improvement with a tower-top connection instead of a middle section
connection? Would it make much difference? Are these things so unpredictable
that experimentation is the only answer?

What band?

snip
My take on the half sloper is basically the antenna is a sometimes
thing. Mine worked on 160 with the first try although I did end up
shortening it about a foot to hit the whole band. It does appear to
be more sensitive to the sourrounding area than the half wave, center
fed slopers on 75. As it works agaisnt the tower, I doubt radials
would make much difference, but I don't know for sure.

My feed point is a female N-connector (threaded for chassis mount with

Oops. I have N-connectors on all of my cables, but I used an adapter
to a PL-259 with a round SO-239 mounted in the bracket.

The images of the construction are now up on
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/tower.htm at the bottom of the
page. It's a large page and even with the small images may take a
while. I'll eventually put the construction stuff on another page.

Sorry the images are all at, or close to ground level. I don't have
any of the actual installation. Maybe next time I'm up there. I do
make it several times a week in warmer weather.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com