Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m.
A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL.
The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful.
-p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
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Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM
Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
From: Paul Butzi (W7PFB)Sent: Saturday, April 4, 2020 10:51 AM To: snovarc@snovarc.groups.ioSubject: [SnoVARC] Rowlands reflector question Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
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Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
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Rowland
Do you have any neighborhood restrictions
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
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toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
--
Thanks, Rowland
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Paul Zoba
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Apr 5, 2020, at 6:07 PM, Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@...> wrote:
Nope. Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
--
Thanks, Rowland
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Rowland
How much room do you have (acre)?
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Nope.
Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
--
Thanks, Rowland
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toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
How much room do you have (acre)? Nope.
Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
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Rowland
How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
100 x 270 about .70 acre
How much room do you have (acre)? Nope.
Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
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Focus is on ease, not price.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on 100 x 270 about .70 acre
How much room do you have (acre)? Nope.
Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
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What bands do you want to cover? And how high can you easily get an antenna (trees, etc)?
-p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Focus is on ease, not price. How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on 100 x 270 about .70 acre
How much room do you have (acre)? Nope.
Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
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Probably 30 feet high max.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:58 Paul Butzi (W7PFB) < w7pfb@...> wrote: What bands do you want to cover? And how high can you easily get an antenna (trees, etc)?
-p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
Focus is on ease, not price. How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on 100 x 270 about .70 acre
How much room do you have (acre)? Nope.
Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
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Rowland
As mentioned there are several options. The easiest would be an end fed zep. Not the best option but will work. I have used one on several occasions in the field and had good success. Get one end up in the tree and use it as a sloper. Next would be an OCFD get the middle in the tree and the two ends spead out and connected so they are ~10' off of the ground. Paul may have other thoughts on this.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Probably 30 feet high max.
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:58 Paul Butzi (W7PFB) < w7pfb@...> wrote: What bands do you want to cover? And how high can you easily get an antenna (trees, etc)?
-p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
Focus is on ease, not price. How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on 100 x 270 about .70 acre
How much room do you have (acre)? Nope.
Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
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I’d be inclined to put up a 135’ long OCFD if you have the space. I like the Buckmaster one because it’s pretty bomb-proof but it’s not magically better than all the other variants performance wise.
-p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
As mentioned there are several options. The easiest would be an end fed zep. Not the best option but will work. I have used one on several occasions in the field and had good success. Get one end up in the tree and use it as a sloper. Next would be an OCFD get the middle in the tree and the two ends spead out and connected so they are ~10' off of the ground. Paul may have other thoughts on this. Probably 30 feet high max.
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:58 Paul Butzi (W7PFB) < w7pfb@...> wrote: What bands do you want to cover? And how high can you easily get an antenna (trees, etc)?
-p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
Focus is on ease, not price. How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on 100 x 270 about .70 acre
How much room do you have (acre)? Nope.
Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working.
What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order?
On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
--
Thanks, Rowland
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The easiest way to get on the air is using what many SOTA operators use. A resonant end fed half wave antenna using a 49:1 transformer. You can buy on line or easily make your own. With 131 feet of wire you can work 80 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters without a turner and add 60, 30, 18 and 24 meters with an internal tuner. You only need one pole or tree and can also have a ground at the transformer for safety. It cannot cover the full 80 meter band but can easily be adjusted to cover either SSB or CW without affecting the upper bands. Depending on how you run the antenna wire it will work the same as or better than your common dipole. It does not need to be run in a straight line. Depending on the transformer core size you can run the full legal limit for power. I just made one for our cabin on lake Wenatchee but you are welcome to give it a try. It is made to handle up to 500 watts. I have wire and the transformer, you just need coax. Just yesterday on a low elevation SOTA summit I worked coast to coast and VA to CA and MI to TX with 5 watts and 599 reports using my EFHW antenna. Fun day away from virus carriers. 73, Dan KA7GPP
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
From: snovarc@snovarc.groups.io [mailto:snovarc@snovarc.groups.io] On Behalf Of Paul Butzi (W7PFB) Sent: Monday, April 6, 2020 7:59 AM To: snovarc@snovarc.groups.io Subject: Re: [SnoVARC] Rowlands reflector question I’d be inclined to put up a 135’ long OCFD if you have the space. I like the Buckmaster one because it’s pretty bomb-proof but it’s not magically better than all the other variants performance wise. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
As mentioned there are several options. The easiest would be an end fed zep. Not the best option but will work. I have used one on several occasions in the field and had good success. Get one end up in the tree and use it as a sloper. Next would be an OCFD get the middle in the tree and the two ends spead out and connected so they are ~10' off of the ground. Paul may have other thoughts on this.
Probably 30 feet high max. On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:58 Paul Butzi (W7PFB) <w7pfb@...> wrote: What bands do you want to cover? And how high can you easily get an antenna (trees, etc)? -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
Focus is on ease, not price. How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on How much room do you have (acre)? Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working. What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order? On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM <wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. Error! Filename not specified. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
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That sounds so good I changed my mind. I’d put up what Dan suggests.
-p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
The easiest way to get on the air is using what many SOTA operators use. A resonant end fed half wave antenna using a 49:1 transformer. You can buy on line or easily make your own. With 131 feet of wire you can work 80 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters without a turner and add 60, 30, 18 and 24 meters with an internal tuner. You only need one pole or tree and can also have a ground at the transformer for safety. It cannot cover the full 80 meter band but can easily be adjusted to cover either SSB or CW without affecting the upper bands. Depending on how you run the antenna wire it will work the same as or better than your common dipole. It does not need to be run in a straight line. Depending on the transformer core size you can run the full legal limit for power. I just made one for our cabin on lake Wenatchee but you are welcome to give it a try. It is made to handle up to 500 watts. I have wire and the transformer, you just need coax. Just yesterday on a low elevation SOTA summit I worked coast to coast and VA to CA and MI to TX with 5 watts and 599 reports using my EFHW antenna. Fun day away from virus carriers. 73, Dan KA7GPP I’d be inclined to put up a 135’ long OCFD if you have the space. I like the Buckmaster one because it’s pretty bomb-proof but it’s not magically better than all the other variants performance wise. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
As mentioned there are several options. The easiest would be an end fed zep. Not the best option but will work. I have used one on several occasions in the field and had good success. Get one end up in the tree and use it as a sloper. Next would be an OCFD get the middle in the tree and the two ends spead out and connected so they are ~10' off of the ground. Paul may have other thoughts on this.
Probably 30 feet high max. On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:58 Paul Butzi (W7PFB) < w7pfb@...> wrote: What bands do you want to cover? And how high can you easily get an antenna (trees, etc)? -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
Focus is on ease, not price. How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on How much room do you have (acre)? Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working. What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order? On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM < wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. Error! Filename not specified. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
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Rowland
Where would I get the build directions?
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
The easiest way to get on the air is using what many SOTA operators use. A resonant end fed half wave antenna using a 49:1 transformer. You can buy on line or easily make your own. With 131 feet of wire you can work 80 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters without a turner and add 60, 30, 18 and 24 meters with an internal tuner. You only need one pole or tree and can also have a ground at the transformer for safety. It cannot cover the full 80 meter band but can easily be adjusted to cover either SSB or CW without affecting the upper bands. Depending on how you run the antenna wire it will work the same as or better than your common dipole. It does not need to be run in a straight line. Depending on the transformer core size you can run the full legal limit for power. I just made one for our cabin on lake Wenatchee but you are welcome to give it a try. It is made to handle up to 500 watts. I have wire and the transformer, you just need coax. Just yesterday on a low elevation SOTA summit I worked coast to coast and VA to CA and MI to TX with 5 watts and 599 reports using my EFHW antenna. Fun day away from virus carriers. 73, Dan KA7GPP I’d be inclined to put up a 135’ long OCFD if you have the space. I like the Buckmaster one because it’s pretty bomb-proof but it’s not magically better than all the other variants performance wise. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
As mentioned there are several options. The easiest would be an end fed zep. Not the best option but will work. I have used one on several occasions in the field and had good success. Get one end up in the tree and use it as a sloper. Next would be an OCFD get the middle in the tree and the two ends spead out and connected so they are ~10' off of the ground. Paul may have other thoughts on this.
Probably 30 feet high max. On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:58 Paul Butzi (W7PFB) <w7pfb@...> wrote: What bands do you want to cover? And how high can you easily get an antenna (trees, etc)? -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
Focus is on ease, not price. How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on How much room do you have (acre)? Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working. What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order? On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM <wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. Error! Filename not specified. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
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I like this idea, Dan. Do you have a commercial version that you favor?
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
The easiest way to get on the air is using what many SOTA operators use. A resonant end fed half wave antenna using a 49:1 transformer. You can buy on line or easily make your own. With 131 feet of wire you can work 80 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters without a turner and add 60, 30, 18 and 24 meters with an internal tuner. You only need one pole or tree and can also have a ground at the transformer for safety. It cannot cover the full 80 meter band but can easily be adjusted to cover either SSB or CW without affecting the upper bands. Depending on how you run the antenna wire it will work the same as or better than your common dipole. It does not need to be run in a straight line. Depending on the transformer core size you can run the full legal limit for power. I just made one for our cabin on lake Wenatchee but you are welcome to give it a try. It is made to handle up to 500 watts. I have wire and the transformer, you just need coax. Just yesterday on a low elevation SOTA summit I worked coast to coast and VA to CA and MI to TX with 5 watts and 599 reports using my EFHW antenna. Fun day away from virus carriers. 73, Dan KA7GPP I’d be inclined to put up a 135’ long OCFD if you have the space. I like the Buckmaster one because it’s pretty bomb-proof but it’s not magically better than all the other variants performance wise. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
As mentioned there are several options. The easiest would be an end fed zep. Not the best option but will work. I have used one on several occasions in the field and had good success. Get one end up in the tree and use it as a sloper. Next would be an OCFD get the middle in the tree and the two ends spead out and connected so they are ~10' off of the ground. Paul may have other thoughts on this.
Probably 30 feet high max. On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:58 Paul Butzi (W7PFB) <w7pfb@...> wrote: What bands do you want to cover? And how high can you easily get an antenna (trees, etc)? -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
Focus is on ease, not price. How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on How much room do you have (acre)? Do you have any neighborhood restrictions Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working. What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order? On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM <wa1hem@...> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. Error! Filename not specified. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB 73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- ************************* Howard E. Mahran WA1HEM (425) 864 - 5104 *************************
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For more details look up on YouTube end fed half wave antenna by Steve Ellington. Here is a link to commercially available version https://myantennas.com/wp/product/efhw-8010/ a great starter antenna for new hams and also nice for us living in HOAs for stealth antennas. 73 Dan KA7GPP--------- Original Message ---------- From: "Paul Butzi (W7PFB)" <w7pfb@butzi.net> To: snovarc@snovarc.groups.io Subject: Re: [SnoVARC] Rowlands reflector question Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2020 09:30:43 -0700 That sounds so good I changed my mind. I’d put up what Dan suggests.-p W7PFB73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! On Apr 6, 2020, at 8:53 AM, Dan Pflugrath <dpflugrath@juno.com> wrote:The easiest way to get on the air is using what many SOTA operators use. A resonant end fed half wave antenna using a 49:1 transformer. You can buy on line or easily make your own. With 131 feet of wire you can work 80 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters without a turner and add 60, 30, 18 and 24 meters with an internal tuner. You only need one pole or tree and can also have a ground at the transformer for safety. It cannot cover the full 80 meter band but can easily be adjusted to cover either SSB or CW without affecting the upper bands. Depending on how you run the antenna wire it will work the same as or better than your common dipole. It does not need to be run in a straight line. Depending on the transformer core size you can run the full legal limit for power. I just made one for our cabin on lake Wenatchee but you are welcome to give it a try. It is made to handle up to 500 watts. I have wire and the transformer, you just need coax. Just yesterday on a low elevation SOTA summit I worked coast to coast and VA to CA and MI to TX with 5 watts and 599 reports using my EFHW antenna. Fun day away from virus carriers.73,Dan KA7GPP From: snovarc@snovarc.groups.io [mailto:snovarc@snovarc.groups.io] On Behalf Of Paul Butzi (W7PFB)Sent: Monday, April 6, 2020 7:59 AMTo: snovarc@snovarc.groups.ioSubject: Re: [SnoVARC] Rowlands reflector question I’d be inclined to put up a 135’ long OCFD if you have the space. I like the Buckmaster one because it’s pretty bomb-proof but it’s not magically better than all the other variants performance wise. -p W7PFB73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! On Apr 6, 2020, at 7:52 AM, Rowland <rowland.brasch@gmail.com> wrote: As mentioned there are several options. The easiest would be an end fed zep. Not the best option but will work. I have used one on several occasions in the field and had good success. Get one end up in the tree and use it as a sloper. Next would be an OCFD get the middle in the tree and the two ends spead out and connected so they are ~10' off of the ground. Paul may have other thoughts on this. Thanks, Rowland On Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 9:58 PM Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@gmail.com> wrote:Probably 30 feet high max. On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:58 Paul Butzi (W7PFB) <w7pfb@butzi.net> wrote:What bands do you want to cover? And how high can you easily get an antenna (trees, etc)? -p W7PFB73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! On Apr 5, 2020, at 9:48 PM, Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@gmail.com> wrote: Focus is on ease, not price. On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:28 Rowland <rowland.brasch@gmail.com> wrote:How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on On Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 7:43 PM Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@gmail.com> wrote:100 x 270 about .70 acre On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 19:33 Rowland <rowland.brasch@gmail.com> wrote:How much room do you have (acre)? On Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 6:07 PM Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@gmail.com> wrote:Nope. On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:59 Rowland <rowland.brasch@gmail.com> wrote:Do you have any neighborhood restrictions On Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 5:10 PM Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@gmail.com> wrote:Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working. What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order? On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM <wa1hem@mahran.com> wrote:Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Paul Butzi (W7PFB)Sent: Saturday, April 4, 2020 10:51 AMTo: snovarc@snovarc.groups.ioSubject: [SnoVARC] Rowlands reflector question Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. Error! Filename not specified. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- *************************Howard E. MahranWA1HEM(425) 864 - 5104************************* -- Thanks,Rowland -- Thanks,Rowland -- Thanks,Rowland
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There is also a Facebook page "End Fed Half Wave Antenna". Once you join look in the files section. The one page direction can be viewed in the link to the YouTube video. I can send the file once I get home today from the cabin where some of my family are hanging out from the virus. Dan
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---------- Original Message ---------- From: "Rowland" <rowland.brasch@gmail.com> To: snovarc@snovarc.groups.io Subject: Re: [SnoVARC] Rowlands reflector question Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2020 12:29:29 -0700
Where would I get the build directions?Thanks,Rowland On Mon, Apr 6, 2020 at 8:53 AM Dan Pflugrath <dpflugrath@juno.com> wrote:The easiest way to get on the air is using what many SOTA operators use. A resonant end fed half wave antenna using a 49:1 transformer. You can buy on line or easily make your own. With 131 feet of wire you can work 80 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters without a turner and add 60, 30, 18 and 24 meters with an internal tuner. You only need one pole or tree and can also have a ground at the transformer for safety. It cannot cover the full 80 meter band but can easily be adjusted to cover either SSB or CW without affecting the upper bands. Depending on how you run the antenna wire it will work the same as or better than your common dipole. It does not need to be run in a straight line. Depending on the transformer core size you can run the full legal limit for power. I just made one for our cabin on lake Wenatchee but you are welcome to give it a try. It is made to handle up to 500 watts. I have wire and the transformer, you just need coax. Just yesterday on a low elevation SOTA summit I worked coast to coast and VA to CA and MI to TX with 5 watts and 599 reports using my EFHW antenna. Fun day away from virus carriers. 73, Dan KA7GPP From: snovarc@snovarc.groups.io [mailto:snovarc@snovarc.groups.io] On Behalf Of Paul Butzi (W7PFB)Sent: Monday, April 6, 2020 7:59 AMTo: snovarc@snovarc.groups.ioSubject: Re: [SnoVARC] Rowlands reflector question I’d be inclined to put up a 135’ long OCFD if you have the space. I like the Buckmaster one because it’s pretty bomb-proof but it’s not magically better than all the other variants performance wise. -p W7PFB73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
On Apr 6, 2020, at 7:52 AM, Rowland <rowland.brasch@gmail.com> wrote: As mentioned there are several options. The easiest would be an end fed zep. Not the best option but will work. I have used one on several occasions in the field and had good success. Get one end up in the tree and use it as a sloper. Next would be an OCFD get the middle in the tree and the two ends spead out and connected so they are ~10' off of the ground. Paul may have other thoughts on this. Thanks, Rowland On Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 9:58 PM Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@gmail.com> wrote: Probably 30 feet high max. On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:58 Paul Butzi (W7PFB) <w7pfb@butzi.net> wrote: What bands do you want to cover? And how high can you easily get an antenna (trees, etc)? -p W7PFB73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun!
On Apr 5, 2020, at 9:48 PM, Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@gmail.com> wrote: Focus is on ease, not price. On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 21:28 Rowland <rowland.brasch@gmail.com> wrote: How much do you want to spend? There are G5RVs, Off center fed dipoles, end feed zeps, certified and so on On Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 7:43 PM Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@gmail.com> wrote: 100 x 270 about .70 acre On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 19:33 Rowland <rowland.brasch@gmail.com> wrote: How much room do you have (acre)? On Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 6:07 PM Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@gmail.com> wrote: Nope. On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:59 Rowland <rowland.brasch@gmail.com> wrote: Do you have any neighborhood restrictions On Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 5:10 PM Jackson Beard <macleanofduart@gmail.com> wrote: Since everyone is offering antenna advice, I have a perfect condition kenwood hf radio I should use this time to get working. What's the easiest antenna to get put u pl in short order? On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 17:06 Howard E. Mahran / WA1HEM <wa1hem@mahran.com> wrote: Paul, This is clearly a newbie question…but I’m curious, what happens if the inverted V is an actual V? Where the ends at 30 Ft and center is at 6ft? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Paul Butzi (W7PFB)Sent: Saturday, April 4, 2020 10:51 AMTo: snovarc@snovarc.groups.ioSubject: [SnoVARC] Rowlands reflector question Rowland asked if adding a reflector below his 80m OCFD would improve NVIS performance on 80m. Error! Filename not specified. A bit more than a 2dBi improvement at 90 degrees. That’s with the reflector length optimized for gain. The modeled reflector height was .1m AGL. The downside is that it messes up SWR somewhat. I didn’t snap a comparison though, there are just too many installation variables to make the results meaningful. -p W7PFB73, Don’t forget to smile and have fun! -- *************************Howard E. MahranWA1HEM(425) 864 - 5104************************* -- Thanks,Rowland -- Thanks,Rowland -- Thanks,Rowland
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