"Joe Bloe" wrote in message
...
Hello,
My attention has been caught by the abilities of a "Fat Conductor"
for an antenna. I understand that this has been achieved by using
what is (little known about) a Caged Di-Pole. I have seen them
before
in older photographs, mostly draped over an old steamship, stem to
stern.

The Caged Di-Pole is supposed to be very well suited for weak
signal
reception. I know that a Yagi can do very well in this regard, but
its the art of it that I'm interested in, and as far as I can see,
it's almost an lost aspect of HAM radio nowadays.

Does anybody remember these things?

73's
Rob
======================================
Rob,

Photographs of a cage of wires slung between a ship's masts could have
been T-antennas in the good old days of LF spark transmitters. The
fat conductors increased the capacitance to ground so drawing a
greater current into the antenna.

For the electrical characteristics of a caged dipole at HF, download
program DIPCAGE2 from website below.

Yes, the only advantage of a caged dipole is a moderate increase in
bandwidth. Its resonant length is slightly less than that of a thin
wire. Its appearance has the disadvantage of upsetting residential
associations.

A few amateurs, without near neighbours, for seventy-mental reasons
still swear by it!
----
Reg, G4FGQ.