an update on this little project...
I have tried various lengths from 32 to 42 feet and have settled on 32 feet.
I currently have 30 radials from 20 feet to over 30 feet. I am undecided to
add more but can do so before putting in a new lawn next spring.
I am currently feeding it at the base with a 4 to 1 voltage balun and 30
feet of Belden RG8-U 50 ohm coax to a little ldg auto tuner in the shack.
SWR at the base of the antenna is 6 to 1 on 40 meters, 3.5 to 1 on 30 meters
and drops from then on to 1.2 to one on 10 meters.
Even with the high swr on 40 meters (I plan on bypassing the balun for that
band) an online coax calculator for my particular feedline indicates I am
loosing at most 8-10 watts in the feedline. I have no way of calculating or
estimating the losses in the little auto tuner or the balun and can only
guess at the ground losses.
I am not too worried about 10 meter operation.
The antenna apparently works...if the band is only partly open I can work
just about anyone I can read on psk on any band 40 thru 15 meters. Comparing
it with my 80 meter twin led fed doublet, the vertical is doing its job
rather nicely.
One little suprise...in the shack, without the ant tuner in line, the swr on
80 meters is quite low...below 3 to 1 on most of the band...wonder what
causes that?
I have also given thoughts to raising the base of the antenna to 12 feet,
and run 4 radials for each band, and am wondering if I would see much
difference. I suspect the swr would be a bit different, but on the air??



"denton" wrote in message
...
Hi all...
I have a 32 ft aluminum mast that I want to feed at the bottom with an
extensive radial system laying on or just below the ground.
I plan on homebrewing a matching network at the base, with tuning stubbs
on the vertical radiator and plan to use the antenna on 30 thru 10 meters.
Before I get too into the project, I am wondering if I would have a better
antenna if I simply purchase a Gap Titan, butternut or something of their
irk. Thanks in advance.