Ed, I worked up some numbers for you at 3.98MHz, and the numbers
demonstrated that the main cause of system inefficiency was coax loss
(and not the ATU).

If you are focussed on VSWR and bandwidth as you seem, you need a
radiating dummy load. They have certain merit in this application.
Google for "TTFD antenna" for an example.


As I indicated earlier, I am not communicating effectively with you!
Sorry if I have not been making myself clear, Owen. I am not "focused"
on those issues you mentioned, especially the ATU. I am aware of its
limitations and proper uses. I only wanted the data to help "prod" the
people in charge of the need to change the antenna system. SWR is a
figure that they recognize.

The Bushcomm looks interesting, but probably a little bit more wire
than we want to hang on this public building. The ARES group ONLY
operaties on three frequencies/bands. It is my opinion that we can very
easily add traps to the 75 foot halfwave antenna and shorten it at the
same time, giving us a resonant antenna with close to 50 ohm match on two
of the three operating frequencies. The third operating frequency can be
taken care of with another perpendicular dipole off the feedpoint. We
easily have end mounting points for both dipoles.

That should give us a much improved system for very little work.

Thanks, Owen.

Ed K7AAT