For One and All,
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The Shortwave Listeners (SWL) AM/FM Antennas Groups
Main webpage has a simple diagram of a Multi-Element
1/4 Wave Length Shortwave Listening (SWL Antenna
using individual 1/4 Wave Length Wires. Message # 14230
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw.../message/14230
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OK for those who can not find or do not want to use Rotator
(Rotor) Cable for a Shortwave Antenna -and- Want the greater
challenge of building a Multi-Element 1/4 Wave Length Antenna.
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This Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna is less than 50 Foot
Long and can be rigged as a Horizontal of Sloper Antenna.
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The 'individual' Wires are :
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* Insulated Hoop-Up Wire or Antenna Wire from RadioShack; or
what every wire or wires that you have available for this
Antenna Project.
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* Separated by Three Inches (3" Spacing)
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* Rigged with Mason Line or Parachute Line or other
Nylon-Poly Rope; depending on the Size of Wire used.
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Rough-Cut the 'inividual' Wires to Plus 3 Feet of the Cut Size.
-Example- The 47.7 Feet Wire becomes a 51 Foot Rough-Cut
project wire.
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The Feed-Point End is either a piece of 1" PVC Pipe or 1/2"
Copper Pipe Bus-Bar with a Wood Dowel inside it for extra
strength. This Pipe should be about XX Inches Long. Why "XX"
well that depends on the Number of Antenna Elements you will
be building into your Multi-Element 1/4 Wave Length Antenna.
3-Elements = Two 3" Spaces plus 1"-2" on each end = 8"-10"
4-Elements = Three 3" Spaces plus 1"-2" on each end = 11"-13"
5-Elements = Four 3" Spaces plus 1"-2" on each end = 14"-16"
6-Elements = Five 3" Spaces plus 1"-2" on each end = 17"-19"
7-Elements = Six 3" Spaces plus 1"-2" on each end = 21"-22"
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* If you use a 1" PVC Pipe use a Clove-Hitch and 6-8 Wraps
back around the Antenna Wire for each Wire. Secure the Wires
to the PVC about 3-Inches apart with an Epoxy Glue. Coat the
Clover Hitch and the Wraps with the Epoxy Glue. Leave a
Tag-End for each Wire as long as the PVC Pipe to be joined
together later.
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* If you use a 1/2" Copper Pipe Bus-Bar : Strip 4"-5" of
Insulation from the end of the each Antenna Element Wire.
Then use a Clove Hitch around the Pipe spacing the Two Loops
1/8"-1/4" apart on the side away from the Knot. Solder the
Two (2) Loop Wires to the Pipe on the side away from the Knot;
let the Solder flow along the Wires about Half-way around
the Pipe. Next Wrap the Tag-End of the Wire with 6-8 Wraps
back around the Antenna Wire. Secure the 6-8 Wraps on the
Antenna Element Wire with an Epoxy Glue. Repeat for the
remaining Antenna Element Wires; and ensure that the Wires
are positioned on the Pipe about 3 Inches apart.
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Rig a Nylon-Poly Rope at the Ends of the Pipe using Clove
Hitches. The Rope should form two legs of a Triangle with
the Pipe with a 60* to 90* Corner away from the Pipe. Mark
this Corner-Point. Use the Tag-Ends of the Rope to tie 3-4
Overhand Knots around the Rope to finish off the Clove
Hitches; and use Epoxy Glue to secure these Knots. Also use
some Epoxy Glue on the side of the Clove Hitches away from
the Knot; to cover half-way around the Pipe.
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NOTE - Try and do all the Epoxying at the same time and
let the Epoxy Set-Up and Harden for 24 Hours.
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TIP - I recommend using a Matching Transformer with this
Antenna. A so-called 9:1 Magnetic Longwire Balun (MLB)
will work well.
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Rigging the Rigging-Line; Coax Cable feed-in-line and the
Matching Transformer.
* Use the same size Nylon-Poly Rope that you used to Rig
the Pipe.
* Form Three 6" Diameter Loops about Half the Length of the
Pipe as a Tag-End from the End Connector of the Coax Cable
and wrap several times with Electrical Tape and use a Clove
Hitch to secure them together along the Pipe Rigging Rope
at the Corner-Point.
* Loosely {temporarily} Connect the Matching Transformer
to the Coax Cable.
* -IF- You are using the PVC Pipe then take the Tag-End from
the {Longest} Antenna Element and Trim it so that it can
easily reach (a little slack) the Antenna Connector of the
Matching Transformer. Strip-off about 2 Inches of Insulation
from the Wire. Tin (Solder) this Wire and Temporarily connect
this Wire to the Macting Transformer. Take the rest of the
Wires and Trim them so that they too can eaily reach the
Matching Transformer. Tin (Solder) each of these Wires.
Remove the {Longest} Wire from the Matching Transformer and
indivdually Wrap the other Wires to the Longs Wire starting at
the point closest to the Insulation the with Three Wraps and
Trim the Tag-End of this Wire. Repeat by following with the
next Wire wrapped tightly next to the first Wire; until all
Wires are Wrapped on the {Longest} Wire. You should have
about 1/2"-1" of the Tinned End of the {Longest} Wire still
un-wrapped. Solder all the other Wires to the {Longest} Wire.
Connect the Tag-End of the {Longest} Wire to the Antenna
Connection of the Matching Transformer; ensure that it is
Tight and Seal the Connection.
* -IF- You are using the Copper Pipe then take a short 12"-18"
'piece' of the Wire that you are using for the Antenna Elements
(Strip the Ends if needed) and Wrap a Clove Hitch so that the
Clove Hitch is opposite the Antenna Element Clove Hitches; and
Solder it and Secure the same way as the other Clove Hitches.
Take the other end of this short Wire and Trim it so that it
easily reach (a little slack) the Antenna Connector of the
Matching Transformer. Strip-off about 1/2 Inch of Insulation
from the Wire. Tin (Solder) this Wire and Connect this Wire
to the Matching Transformer; ensure that it is Tight and Seal
the Connection.
* Tighten the Coax Cable to the Matching Transformer and Seal
the Connection.
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Using the Pipe as your Zero-Point for Measuring : Measure out
from the Pipe each of the individual Wire Antenna Elements
and mark the End-Point with a small piece of Tape. Next Trim
the Wires 4" beyond the Tape. Form two very small 1/4" to 1/2"
Loops right next to the Tape; carefully remove the Tape and
Wrap the Tag-End of the Wire around the Wire Antenna Element
main body for 6-8 Wraps. Feed the 6" of the Rigging Rope
through the Two Loops and Wrap 4-6 Wraps of the Rigging Rope
around the Wire Wraps and then feed the End of the Rigging
Rope back through the Two Loops; secure the End of the Rigging
Rope with 2-3 Overhand Knots. Important - Pull the Wire-Rope
Joint Tight. Use some Epoxy Glue to Secure the Wraps and Knots.
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Individual 1/4 Wave Length Wire Antenna Elements :
60 Meters ~ 47.7 Feet - LA
49 Meters ~ 38.7 Feet - - sa
41 Meters ~ 32.4 Feet - LA
31 Meters ~ 24.2 Feet - - sa
25 Meters ~ 19.7 Feet - LA
22 Meters ~ 17.1 Feet - - sa
19 Meters ~ 15.1 Feet - LA
"LA" = Long Alternating Three Shortwave Bands : 60m/41m/25m/19m
"sa" = Short Altenating Three Shortwave Bands : 49m/31m/22m
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You can then use a piece of PVC Pipe as the Far-End-Piece to
Rig the individual Wire Antenna Elements. The Longest Wire
should have at least 3-5 Feet of Rigging Rope between it and
the Far-End-Piece; and the other Far-End Rigging Ropes will
be longer.
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NOTE - The Far-End-Piece is constructed the same as the
Feed-End Pipe; except no Soldering is Required since it is
just PVC Pipe and Rigging Rope. Rig the Back-End of the
Far-End-Piece with the same Rigging Rope as the Feed-End
Pipe.
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Hoisting the Antenna into the Air. -IF- You are Working Along
One End at a Time starting with the Feed-End Pipe; and the
carefully hoist the Far-End-Piece into place ensuring that the
Wires do-not-tangle.
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TIP - You can use a second smaller Rigging Rope on the Down
(Bottom) Ends of both the Feed-End Pipe and the Far-end-Piece
to keep the Wires laying in order and prevent tangling.
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-IF- You are working with someone Rigging can be a lot easier.
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TIP - Get Help when you are ready to Hoist the Antenna in the Air.
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All that is left is to connect the other end of the Coax Cable to your
Radio / Receiver.
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Enjoy building the Multi-Element 1/4 Wave Length Antenna.
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think multi-elemental and you just might hear more - iane ~ RHF
{pomkia}
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Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antennas Group = http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf
GoTo = http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
The SWL Antenna Discussion Group = http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf
Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antenna HELP = http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf
Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antenna NEWS = http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf
Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antenna INFO = http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf
* * * All Are Welcome : Including ELMERS and 'Want-to-be-Elmers'
plus plain old "Mister-Know-It-Alls"; and even those Newbees with
"I Know This Is A Really Dumb Question - But _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "
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The Shortwave Listener's Blessing :
SWL BLESSING = http://tinyurl.com/s2bjm
May You Never Tire of Listening to the Radio and Always
have Strong Signals and Noise Free Reception ~ RHF {ibid}
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/9233
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Tous Sont Bienvenus ! - - - Groupe par Radio
d'auditeur d'onde courte pour des Antennes de SWL
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
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Alle Sind Willkommen ! - - - Shortwave Radiozuhörer
Gruppe für SWL Antennen
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
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Tutti Sono Benvenuti ! - - - Gruppo Radiofonico
dell'ascoltatore di onda corta per le Antenne di SWL
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
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Todos São Bem-vindos ! - - - Grupo de Rádio
do ouvinte do Shortwave para Antenas de SWL
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
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¡Todos Son Agradables! - - - Grupo de Radio del oyente
de la onda corta para las Antenas de SWL
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
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= = = = Plain Old American-English Translation = = = =
All are Welcome - - - To Join the Shortwave Listeners
(SWL) Antenna Group on YAHOO !
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
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