Antenna tuners 'like' antennas that are 'too long' better than
antennas that are 'too short'. That doesn't say anything about how
well that 'too long'/'too short' antenna will perform, just that the
average tuner will find it easier to deal with one that's 'too long'.
(Easier to 'cram' more capacitance into a tuner than inductance.) If
this antenna is a doublet, 'balanced', why would you need a
'groundplane'? And while I'd guess that it'll never be 'ideal', the
building is acting as a 'groundplane' anyway, sort of.
- 'Doc

(What am I not understanding about the situation?)

Antenna tuners 'like' antennas that are 'too long' better than
antennas that are 'too short'. That doesn't say anything about how
well that 'too long'/'too short' antenna will perform, just that the
average tuner will find it easier to deal with one that's 'too long'.
(Easier to 'cram' more capacitance into a tuner than inductance.) If
this antenna is a doublet, 'balanced', why would you need a
'groundplane'? And while I'd guess that it'll never be 'ideal', the
building is acting as a 'groundplane' anyway, sort of.
- 'Doc

(What am I not understanding about the situation?)


I don't think you are missing anything; your comments sound
reasonable to me. The building is the nearly new local firehouse HQ.
The Chief and staff have outlined very strict parameters for our antenna
location and setup. They fabricated the aluminum mast and will install
it on the side of the building per their own design. Even at that, they
gritted their teeth at the visual impact it has. No stand-off
supported open ladder line for us! We must work with this and I don't
see any feed alternative than coax. The only thing we 'may' have some
flexibility with is the length of the antenna. ( Sorry Cecil, I guess
I should have mentioned that up front ). We are limited to the length
of the side of the building, which I estimated would give us up to 40
feet of element from the top of the mast. However, in hindsignt, I
believe we could at that end point drop some additional length down off
the end for a longer antenna.... would probably give us better operation
on 75 & 80.


Ed

Ed_G wrote:
They fabricated the aluminum mast and will install
it on the side of the building per their own design.

Get them to fabricate a piece of fiberglass tubing
and all your problems will disappear.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

Get them to fabricate a piece of fiberglass tubing
and all your problems will disappear.



I fully agree, but we have absolutely no input in regards to the mast
they have provided, and to attempt to persuade them otherwise would only
jeopardize the situaion, so we must accept what they have provided and work
with it.


Ed

Ed_G wrote:
Get them to fabricate a piece of fiberglass tubing
and all your problems will disappear.

I fully agree, but we have absolutely no input in regards to the mast
they have provided, and to attempt to persuade them otherwise would only
jeopardize the situaion, so we must accept what they have provided and work
with it.

There is someone, somewhere, who has the authority to
change the mast from aluminum to fiberglass for the
purpose of multiplying your radiation efficiency by
a factor of 7. I would seek that person out and bend
his/her ear.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

There is someone, somewhere, who has the authority to
change the mast from aluminum to fiberglass for the
purpose of multiplying your radiation efficiency by
a factor of 7. I would seek that person out and bend
his/her ear.

Believe me, Cecil, that is not the case here. This is a very
small community. The Fire Chief and his Deputy have ultimate authority
over this building. Besides, to attempt to go over his head would
merely jeopardize the good relations we already have which allowed us to
get this far anyway. We'll leave well enough alone and work with what
we have. If it weren't for the fact that we need operation on 3589 &
3980, ~7090 & 7248, and hopefully 60M, we'd probably have just gone with
a trapped wire antenna off this mast instead of using the SGC-237 (
which we already possess).



Thanks.

Ed

Ed_G wrote:
There is someone, somewhere, who has the authority to
change the mast from aluminum to fiberglass for the
purpose of multiplying your radiation efficiency by
a factor of 7. I would seek that person out and bend
his/her ear.

Believe me, Cecil, that is not the case here. This is a very
small community. The Fire Chief and his Deputy have ultimate authority
over this building.

If the goal of those guys is to sabotage amateur
radio communications, they have probably succeeded.
It's like them going to fight a fire with big holes
in the hoses.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com