Carolina Windom
 

Anyone familiar with the Carolina Windom? What is it's claim to fame?
Looks like nothing more than a dipole fed off center with an isolator
to limit feed line radiation.

Any insight will be appreciated.

jimbo

jimbo wrote:
Anyone familiar with the Carolina Windom? What is it's claim to fame?
Looks like nothing more than a dipole fed off center with an isolator
to limit feed line radiation.

Actually, the isolator is some number of feet from the
feedpoint which ensures feedline radiation. The Carolina
Windom is a compromise between horizontal and vertical
radiation. It's performance falls between a horizontal
dipole and a 1/4WL vertical. Depending upon who you talk
to, it is either the best of both worlds or the worst of
both worlds.
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp

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With the Carolina Windom, the most vertical radiation is found on 160m,
where the thing acts like a short, top loaded vertical. The ant is fully
bandswitching, and will load on some bands without a tuner. The main
drawback is the limitation that applies to all horizontal antennas, and that
is height above ground. Most horizontal antennas are substantially cloud
warmers at less than 1/2 wavelength height.

Cecil is correct. I have had a couple of them and they work well, but do
have their limitation. I was able to get up about 75/80 feet in the air and
it was very good on 20/18 meters the other bands were okay but nothing to
write home about.
W4LM
"jimbo" wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyone familiar with the Carolina Windom? What is it's claim to fame?
Looks like nothing more than a dipole fed off center with an isolator
to limit feed line radiation.

Any insight will be appreciated.

jimbo

I vote best of best. I use one for 40 and 80 meters at 40 feet and
have no problems tunning. I also get good reports, and get into
Europe on 40 if the band is right. It is a good general purpose
antenna. It is probably in the same class with the G5RV, but is a
cleaner installation.

Win, W0LZ

I have a home brew Carolina Windom that I have pruned for 80 meters. I
have compared it with a G5RV and a full size inverted V for 80 meters. I
like to chase 80 meter DX and I am in Southern California. The Windom
gets much better reports than the G5RV on both 80 & 40 those are the only
bands I checked and I can find little difference between it and the full
size inverted V. Some times the inverted V will be better by one s unit
then the Windom will be but for DX the Windom always seems better and I
get very good reports out of the Pacific. I think different antennas work
differently at each QTH and only experimenting will reveal whats best for
you.

I have a home brew Carolina Windom that I have pruned for 80 meters.
I
have compared it with a G5RV and a full size inverted V for 80
meters. I
like to chase 80 meter DX and I am in Southern California. The
Windom
gets much better reports than the G5RV on both 80 & 40 those are the
only
bands I checked and I can find little difference between it and the
full
size inverted V. Some times the inverted V will be better by one s
unit
then the Windom will be but for DX the Windom always seems better
and I
get very good reports out of the Pacific. I think different
antennas work
differently at each QTH and only experimenting will reveal whats
best for
you.

==================================

If you rotate the directions of all the antennas you will get a
completely different set of results and draw a different set of
conclusions. Which is correct?
----
Reg.

"Reg Edwards" wrote in message
...

I have a home brew Carolina Windom that I have pruned for 80 meters.
I
have compared it with a G5RV and a full size inverted V for 80
meters. I
like to chase 80 meter DX and I am in Southern California. The
Windom
gets much better reports than the G5RV on both 80 & 40 those are the
only
bands I checked and I can find little difference between it and the
full
size inverted V. Some times the inverted V will be better by one s
unit
then the Windom will be but for DX the Windom always seems better
and I
get very good reports out of the Pacific. I think different
antennas work
differently at each QTH and only experimenting will reveal whats
best for
you.

==================================

If you rotate the directions of all the antennas you will get a
completely different set of results and draw a different set of
conclusions. Which is correct?
----
Reg.

The "correct" conclusion is the one that works for the individual proposing
the query.

I replaced a conventional 66' doublet with a Carolina Windom 40 LP. It was
put up in exactly the same place the doublet was. I immediately noticed that
I worked stations that I'd previously worked easier and their received sigs
were stronger as well. I also worked many stations that I'd not heard
before.

Does this mean the Windom is superior? No way! It just happened to work out
that way for my particular set of variables.

Don't forget, for every antenna you physically put up and actually yield
favorable results with, there will be a bunch of folks armed with an antenna
modeling program who will tell you why it can't work.

If it works for you, enjoy it. I'm going to try a full-wave loop next.

--
Vy 73 de Bert
WA2SI
FISTS #9384
QRP ARCI #11782

I replaced a conventional 66' doublet with a Carolina Windom 40 LP.
It was
put up in exactly the same place the doublet was. I immediately
noticed that
I worked stations that I'd previously worked easier and their
received sigs
were stronger as well. I also worked many stations that I'd not
heard
before.

Does this mean the Windom is superior? No way! It just happened to
work out
that way for my particular set of variables.

================================

Yes. It may have been nothing to do with your antennas. By chance it
could have been a different time of day. Plus a different set of
distant amateur stations, in different locations, at different
distances, using different power and antennas, which you can't rustle
up to order. As the days and weeks go by ionospheric conditions
change.
----
Reg.

"Reg Edwards" wrote in message
...
I replaced a conventional 66' doublet with a Carolina Windom 40 LP.
It was
put up in exactly the same place the doublet was. I immediately
noticed that
I worked stations that I'd previously worked easier and their
received sigs
were stronger as well. I also worked many stations that I'd not
heard
before.

Does this mean the Windom is superior? No way! It just happened to
work out
that way for my particular set of variables.

================================

Yes. It may have been nothing to do with your antennas. By chance it
could have been a different time of day. Plus a different set of
distant amateur stations, in different locations, at different
distances, using different power and antennas, which you can't rustle
up to order. As the days and weeks go by ionospheric conditions
change.
----
Reg.

Absolutely Reg, however, to be fair to the Windom, I have had them both up
for extended periods of time with the same results. Personally, I really
don't attribute the difference to the time of day or condx in this case.
More like orientation.

--
Vy 73 de Bert
WA2SI
FISTS #9384
QRP ARCI #11782