"Yuri Blanarovich" wrote in message
...
.Is
it going to make any real
difference on HF? Nope...

Exactly.

Jerry


YES, it makes real difference in calculating the proper length. If you are
making, let's say quad for 10m and used EZNEC to calculate the dimensions
using
bare wire and then used insulated, you would end up exactly in the middle
of CB
band. Nope? Exactly! What?

Is that "any real difference on HF"? Yep, to me is. Using #12 insulated
house
copper wire makes exactly 5% difference.

If you do not care where the antenna resonates, than NOPE.
If you care to maintaing performance, pattern, impedance, SWR, than YEP!

If you are making long wire antenna or Beverage, than length and
shortening
factor does not matter. But if antenna dimensions are critical then it
DOES
matter. As far as performance of insulated wire as a radiator of RF, the
effect
is negligible.

Yuri, K3BU

Yuri:

You are answering a question that was not asked. Your answer is excellent if
the question we Is it necessary, when calculating element length, to
consider the type of wire used?

If you calculate based on insulated wire and then build it out of bare wire,
it ain't going to work well either.

Assuming one calculates for whatever radiating thingy one is using, it makes
little difference whether that thingy is bare or insulated.

Paul AB0SI

On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 03:05:05 GMT, "
wrote:



Yuri:

You are answering a question that was not asked. Your answer is excellent if
the question we Is it necessary, when calculating element length, to
consider the type of wire used?

If you calculate based on insulated wire and then build it out of bare wire,
it ain't going to work well either.

Assuming one calculates for whatever radiating thingy one is using, it makes
little difference whether that thingy is bare or insulated.

Paul AB0SI


As I understand it, the formulas are based on bare wire, so if you use
insulated, you should take into account a little shortening. That was
the only point being made, I believe.

Bob
k5qwg

As I understand it, the formulas are based on bare wire, so if you use
insulated, you should take into account a little shortening. That was
the only point being made, I believe.

You do want to make it about 5% shorter if you use insulated wire...I built my
full wave 80 meter loop out of 13 gauge copper clad steel wire with a
polyethylene insulator...and it turned out to be too long...I wouldn't figure
the 5% in the equation, you can always trim the extra off.

Steve
kb8viv

I wouldn't figure
the 5% in the equation, you can always trim the extra off.

Steve
kb8viv


You can do it hard way, or the easy way. If you know approximate shortening
factor, it will save you monkeying with the wire cutters and you could get
right on the first try, which is more important when you building multielement
wire antennas like quads.

If you like exercise with pliers, then by all means, take the spool of wire and
start cutting :-)

73 Yuri

Yuri:

You are answering a question that was not asked. Your answer is excellent if
the question we Is it necessary, when calculating element length, to
consider the type of wire used?

If you calculate based on insulated wire and then build it out of bare wire,
it ain't going to work well either.

Assuming one calculates for whatever radiating thingy one is using, it makes
little difference whether that thingy is bare or insulated.

Paul AB0SI

The question was:
"What are pros and cons of using insulated twisted pair wire for wire
antenna projects? (its what I have handy) Comments invited."

Lacking more specific question (didn't say white kind of "wire antenna
projects" resonant or random length), I pointed out "cons" - the effect of
insulation on calculation and modeling the antenna's physical length vs.
electrical. 5% shortening from insulation makes difference if you end up in 10m
ham band or 11m CB band, that is 1.4 MHz difference and that IS significant.

Inquirer can decide for himself if it is important for his case (making
resonant antennas) or not (non resonant, long wire antennas).

If I offended anybody's insulation, then I am sorry :-)

Yuri, K3BU