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

Rich,
The best 'pro' is that you already have it! The first 'con'
that comes to mind is, is it large enough to hold up it's own
weight and not stretch to the next lower band?
Within reason, the 'type' of wire/conductor you use to make
an antenna just doesn't matter a lot. It has to be a conductor,
after that, it has to be available. The rest is up to you.
'Doc

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



Depending on the type of plastic, physical length of insulated wire will be
shorter by about 5% for the same resonant frequency vs. bare wire.
Otherwise it will work.

Yuri

Depending on the type of plastic, physical length of insulated wire will
be
shorter by about 5% for the same resonant frequency vs. bare wire.
Otherwise it will work.

Isn't that true just for VHF and higher frequencies due to the velocity
factor??? I'm fairly certain that doesn't apply for HF.

Jerry
--
Jerry Bransford
To email, remove 'me' from my email address
KC6TAY, PP-ASEL
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"Yuri Blanarovich" wrote in message
...

Jerry,
It applies to any frequency. I don't know if I would
agree with the 5%, but there is a 'shortening' affect if
the conductor is insulated. Is it going to make any real
difference on HF? Nope...
'Doc

"'Doc" wrote in message
it going to make any real
difference on HF? Nope...

Exactly.

Jerry
--
Jerry Bransford
To email, remove 'me' from my email address
KC6TAY, PP-ASEL
See the Geezer Jeep at
http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/

.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 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