Hello to all. I intend to erect an 80 meter full size dipole and feed
it with homebrew open ladder line. Would anyone care to reply as to how
to construct ladder line easily and effectively? How does one determine
spacing to get X ohms impedance line?

Also any ideas on how such line can easily be fed in through a window
with a wood frame would be greatly appreciated.

Larry Gagnon VE7EA

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to reply via email remove "fake"

Larry Gagnon wrote:

Hello to all. I intend to erect an 80 meter full size dipole and feed
it with homebrew open ladder line. Would anyone care to reply as to how
to construct ladder line easily and effectively? How does one determine
spacing to get X ohms impedance line?

Spacing is not critical. How about a 4" spacer made out of irrigation
plastic tubing?
--
73, Cecil, W5DXP



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Cecil Moore wrote:

Larry Gagnon wrote:

Hello to all. I intend to erect an 80 meter full size dipole and feed
it with homebrew open ladder line. Would anyone care to reply as to how
to construct ladder line easily and effectively? How does one determine
spacing to get X ohms impedance line?




1/4" / 6 mm PTFE rod. From Radiospares in the U.K.
but there must be suppliers in the States. Cut into
suitable lengths with a hobby knife - I used 125 mm
but not critical. Drill holes 5 mm from each end,
making sure they are parallel. Holes should be about
1/2 mm smaller than the wire you are going to use. I
used 19/0.2 silver plated copper with a PTFE jacket.

PTFE is fairly soft and easy to work with hand tools.
The stuff available here is white and surprisingly
very unobtrusive visually, certainly a lot better
than black windowed 450 ohm twin.

Slit from the holes to the ends of the rod with a
hobby knife. Ease open with finger and push the wire
in. I used an aluminium ruler to push with. It will
'click' into place. You can adjust the spacer positions
easily but the grip is enough, even with PTFE, to keep
the spacers in place. Space the rods 12" to 18".
This will also work FB with bare copper conductors.

Apart from its excellent electrical characteristics
the PTFE is very good at shedding rainwater, which
can be a problem if you use other plastics, especially
tubes.

You now have some very posh mil-spec ladder line. I
can easily make 30' an hour with hand tools.

vy 73

Andy, M1EBV

Larry,
Boy, are you gonna have fun! As Cecil said, spacing isn't
all that critical. Use whatever you can find enough of, to make
the 'spreaders', as long as it's not conductive it should work.
The simplest way to feed ladder line through a window is to
make a 'spacer' board to fit in the window. Drill a couple of
holes in the board, the correct distance apart, feed the line
through the holes, 'hot glue' in place (or however you can get
it to stay put. Have to remove the screen...
'Doc

PS - The real 'trick' is to keep the line from 'swarming' on
you when you finish.

The simplest way to feed ladder line through a window is to
make a 'spacer' board to fit in the window. Drill a couple of
holes in the board, the correct distance apart, feed the line
through the holes, 'hot glue' in place (or however you can get
it to stay put. Have to remove the screen...
'Doc
The above sounds very practical and do-able but make sure you put "drip loops"
on the incomming lines.
de wa2eaw...Bob

'Doc wrote:

PS - The real 'trick' is to keep the line from 'swarming' on

you when you finish.

What does this mean? I am unfamiliar with the term.

Zeno

Zeno,
"Swarming" means that because of the 'memory' of the wire
used to make the 'twin lead', when it's turned loose from
whatever you fixed it to to build it, it tries to assume it's
former shape. Usually results in a 'rat's nest' of wire in
a not so compact ball, LOL! Not really something to waste a
lot of worry on, just be aware that it can happen.
'Doc

'Doc wrote:
"Swarming" means that because of the 'memory' of the wire
used to make the 'twin lead', when it's turned loose from
whatever you fixed it to to build it, it tries to assume it's
former shape. Usually results in a 'rat's nest' of wire in
a not so compact ball, LOL! Not really something to waste a
lot of worry on, just be aware that it can happen.

Tying the ladder-line to the trailer hitch of my GMC pickup and
stretching it a bit solved all those problems.
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp



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'Doc wrote:

Zeno,
"Swarming" means that because of the 'memory' of the wire
used to make the 'twin lead', when it's turned loose from
whatever you fixed it to to build it, it tries to assume it's
former shape. Usually results in a 'rat's nest' of wire in
a not so compact ball, LOL! Not really something to waste a
lot of worry on, just be aware that it can happen.
'Doc

Perhaps the term 'Sproinging' might be better. You take it out in a
neat roll, let go, it goes 'Sproing!' and you have a rats nest. When
you get ready to put it up, call a couple of chums over for an
antenna raising party and let them loose the coil -- then let them clean
up the ball of wire! :-)

Irv VE6BP


--
--------------------------------------
Diagnosed Type II Diabetes March 5 2001
Beating it with diet and exercise!
297/215/210 (to be revised lower)
58"/43"(!)/44" (already lower too!)
--------------------------------------
Visit my HomePage at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv/
Visit my very special website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv4/
Visit my CFSRS/CFIOG ONLINE OLDTIMERS website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv5/
--------------------
Irv Finkleman,
Grampa/Ex-Navy/Old Fart/Ham Radio VE6BP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

What is need is some kind of "brain washing" technique for wire....

Either that or they should sell wire in straight lengths.....
One of my favorite (and boring) routines at the Home Depot, while awkwardly tooling
around with 20 Foot pipes in the shopping cart nearly causing bodily harm when
negotiating a turn down an isle, is to ask one of the managers, "where do you keep
the 1000 footers?"

Getting home with a 500 foot straight length of wire would require a few red flags
in back.....


-Zeno

Irv Finkleman wrote:

'Doc wrote:

Zeno,
"Swarming" means that because of the 'memory' of the wire
used to make the 'twin lead', when it's turned loose from
whatever you fixed it to to build it, it tries to assume it's
former shape. Usually results in a 'rat's nest' of wire in
a not so compact ball, LOL! Not really something to waste a
lot of worry on, just be aware that it can happen.
'Doc

Perhaps the term 'Sproinging' might be better. You take it out in a
neat roll, let go, it goes 'Sproing!' and you have a rats nest. When
you get ready to put it up, call a couple of chums over for an
antenna raising party and let them loose the coil -- then let them clean
up the ball of wire! :-)

Irv VE6BP

--
--------------------------------------
Diagnosed Type II Diabetes March 5 2001
Beating it with diet and exercise!
297/215/210 (to be revised lower)
58"/43"(!)/44" (already lower too!)
--------------------------------------
Visit my HomePage at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv/
Visit my very special website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv4/
Visit my CFSRS/CFIOG ONLINE OLDTIMERS website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv5/
--------------------
Irv Finkleman,
Grampa/Ex-Navy/Old Fart/Ham Radio VE6BP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada