On Tue, 5 Jun 2007 14:12:46 -0700, "The Shadow"
wrote:

I received this request from a VE ham.

"What gauge of insulated wire do I need to build a long wire for 20, 40, 80
meters.
In your personal experience, how long must the wires be to operate on said
freqs. I am using an old ts-820 only. I need to build it quick to listen in
on the upcoming Field day this June 23-24, 2007."

Thought I would ask here for opinions

Thanks
Lamont
I like to back into this kind of question...
If you have to buy wire I would buy #14 electrical house wire from
your local Home improvement store. It has enough strength to support
itself and is very durable. You can break it if you put too much
tension on it. It seems to be reusable forever! The current price for
a 500 foot spool is up to about $42.

At $0.10 per foot an 80 meter dipole (135 feet) would amount to
$13.50.

If this is a receive only antenna the mechanical qualities are the
most important.

In my experience, 1/4 wave dipole is the most useful quick & dirty on
each band.

Current band conditions may lead to a poor experience for folks
experiencing HF for the first time.

John Ferrell W8CCW
"Life is easier if you learn to
plow around the stumps"