On 8/1/2011 8:11 PM, Kevin wrote:


You have a point Mark. I agree that a simple 1/4 wave groundplane is more
study and very easy to make using an so-239 and some piano wire. Steel wire
can be soldered right into the back, four bolts with nuts and four more
peaces of wire around 19" long with a bit of a downward bend and you have a
very good antenna.

Kevin, WB5RUE


I'd use copper wire vs the steel or piano wire. They would work,
but I think the copper would be a better conductor. Steel in
particular is not too good. Also copper is a lot easier to solder to.
If you use solid wire of say 12 or 14 gauge, it's stiff enough to
stand up straight, but flexible enough to be bent and hold it's
shape.
If you are going to hang the antenna from something, you can use the
inner conductor of coax as the radiator, "shield stripped back 19
inches" and attach wire radials to the shield. All you have to do is
hang it up, and then bend out the radials at about 45 degrees, and you
are ready to become radioactive.

For a deluxe version, shave off the covering of the braid a 1/4 wave
below the radials at the feed point and add a second set of radials
to the braid.
That version would be well decoupled. Would blow most J poles out of
the water I suspect if you want to concentrate on the horizon, vs up
at some peculiar angle which is fairly useless for VHF/UHF.
Decoupling of the feed line is more important than radiator gain on
those bands. IE: a 1/4 GP can often outperform a 1/2 wave vertical if
the 1/2 wave has little or no decoupling. Which is the case for most
1/2 wave J poles.