On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 19:19:26 -0500, nbr
wrote:

I've put up an inverted-L, which consists of approx. 135' horizontal
leg, and approx. 70' vertical leg. I can shorten the overall length of
the antenna, but cannot lengthen it. There are about 4 ground rods
within about 10' of the base ofthe vertical element, plus about 25
square feet of chickenn wire to serve as a ground plane. I can feed
the antenna right at ground level, or can arrange to feed it up to
6-10' above ground. There is about 120' of buried coax to the shack,
which must feed this antenna. I'd like to use this inverted-L on
160-10M (will settle for 80-10M).
1) How to feed the antenna and be able to run legal limit, all bands?
Current or voltage balun? Won't a balun disspiate power and decrease
efficiency? WIll a balun at ground level increase ground losses?
2) How is the inverted-L said to be a vertically polarized antenna,
when a major portion of its radiating element is horizontal?
3) For Field Day we added another vertical leg to this antenna to make
it into a half-square, and had decent results on 40M/20M. How is the
half-square described as "two verticals in phase", when again, there
is a major part of the antenna (the so-called "phasing element") which
is horizontal?
Thanks and 73
Dan (K0DAN)


Thanks for the recent comments on my previous post. They have been
interesting and informative.

The "antenna voodoo" is still bothering me about the theory of some of
these antennas (e.g. inverted-L, half-square, etc.). I understand that
the horizontal leg of the "L" is considered an "inductor at the top of
the vertical" element, but why not the reverse? Why is this not a
"bent horizontal" with segments which radiate both in the horizontal
and vertical planes? Why is the horizontal sengment of a 1/2-square
considered a "phasing line" and not a radiator?

73
Dan (K0DAN)