B+ Silver Star. You might have whittled off the .06 with a couple more windings
Quite professional appearance. Can't even see it from my house.
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1/2 wave Inverted V Dipole Antenna
- Thread starter Newbie solar guy
- Start date
Quite professional appearance. Can't even see it from my house.
Thank you I have my dipole up at 9 ft (tried 14 ft. Same thing happens)with the legs spread at about 100° and I can't get my srw below 3. If I lower the center of the dipole about 5 ft off the ground the swr goes to 1.5 and I don't know why that's happening. But I cannot seem to get the Swr under 3.0 I receive ok,I can hear people talk. Tried radio check a few times and nothing. Didn't want to keep transmit with 3.0swr
Thanks for your reply. It all helps.and I do have problems with it. Can't get swr below 3. And can only get apex to 14 ft. Some one said I should be at 9 ft. Cuz it's a multiple of a full wave?
You lowered 100d I-Vee apex to 5' AGL, the legs ends would be on the ground and your SWR is 1.5:1. There's a clue in that. para 5 below.
9' might have been misunderstood. Wild Weasel spoke of 9' distancing from reflectors, I believe was his inference. And this was when you were speaking of attaching it to house eve.
Seriously consider the pseudo-free swinging tree limb alternative. There is so much flexibility available to you. It is possible to raise an I-Vee with very little or zero street view. The horizontal leg spreader is the only component that is barely viewable, if suitably camouflaged. Sky blue and partly cloudy horizontal line in the air on a rainy day? Who's looking?
Lets talk about SWR channel 1 V channel 40? My first thought, after ascertaining both upper and lower channels are reading equally 3+, is the manner of construction.
What are your leg lengths? Equal 1 & 40 3+ SWR, too long? 5$ bet!
Use those I-Vee calculators posted back 0n 31 Aug.
Add 6+" for sake of play and fold over, and just cause you mite decide 135d I-vee is your flavor for the day.
If I recall I had very similar 3+ when starting. Too long in the legs. Folded over maybe 2" and I was on my way again, toward fine tuning. Unequal leg lengths is impotent.
Soldering would be my 2nd assessment. If you're using ring connectors solder them as well.
The highest SWR I see on my 90d I-Vee at maybe 15' AGL is 1.45:1 with 1200W.
With most of it hidden by tree foliage; which, BTW is not good on rainy days.
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I don't recall where you are residing, if not on a rock slab here is a suggestion:
Drill a hole 2' deep absolutely perpendicular, insert 20' top chain link fence rail, I think they are 1 5/8" OD.
Drill a hole with your garden hose water pressure. Attach 2-3' of hose end to a mop handle. Use carpenter level to maintain plumb. Hit a rock or root? No problem move over several inches or a foot. It is easier with a custom drill head, with teeth, but a high pressure hose end nozzle is quite helpful.
Insure perpendicular/plumb while you beat the ground vigorously around the gap between pole and earth. It's now in the ground solid. A tiny bit off plumb won't hurt. Could insert a 2"D x 2' PVC section, in the ground and pound it in firmly. , Hole should be wide enough, if not insert drilling rig through 2" PVC and drill again. Insert top rail into PVC; pipe is removable. I grease up the lower 2' of pipe, makes for even easier removal.
At upper end of pipe dill hole and insert I-bolt with 1/4" rope pulley. You now have 1/2λ AGL attachment for your 360d directional I-Vee, 9'+ away from the house. Use appropriate color 1/4" Dacron line (last for many years), put a cleat on the post and hoist up the antenna. No more visually offensive than flying an upside down flag.
Use 1/2 dowel or 1/2" schedule 40 PVC ~ 13' full length leg spreader, I don't know which is lighter, PVC is cheaper. Anchor ends of leg spreader as you deem fit. Leg spreader and 18' standing pipe are your only wind loads. For sure a very strong wind will cause sway but it's not going to break or fold over. You didn't mention you lived in tornado alley or hurricane landing zones. If so you've bigger problems to deal with.
Drill a hole 2' deep absolutely perpendicular, insert 20' top chain link fence rail, I think they are 1 5/8" OD.
Drill a hole with your garden hose water pressure. Attach 2-3' of hose end to a mop handle. Use carpenter level to maintain plumb. Hit a rock or root? No problem move over several inches or a foot. It is easier with a custom drill head, with teeth, but a high pressure hose end nozzle is quite helpful.
Insure perpendicular/plumb while you beat the ground vigorously around the gap between pole and earth. It's now in the ground solid. A tiny bit off plumb won't hurt. Could insert a 2"D x 2' PVC section, in the ground and pound it in firmly. , Hole should be wide enough, if not insert drilling rig through 2" PVC and drill again. Insert top rail into PVC; pipe is removable. I grease up the lower 2' of pipe, makes for even easier removal.
At upper end of pipe dill hole and insert I-bolt with 1/4" rope pulley. You now have 1/2λ AGL attachment for your 360d directional I-Vee, 9'+ away from the house. Use appropriate color 1/4" Dacron line (last for many years), put a cleat on the post and hoist up the antenna. No more visually offensive than flying an upside down flag.
Use 1/2 dowel or 1/2" schedule 40 PVC ~ 13' full length leg spreader, I don't know which is lighter, PVC is cheaper. Anchor ends of leg spreader as you deem fit. Leg spreader and 18' standing pipe are your only wind loads. For sure a very strong wind will cause sway but it's not going to break or fold over. You didn't mention you lived in tornado alley or hurricane landing zones. If so you've bigger problems to deal with.
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Hi NSG - I believe it is having the "anticipated" problems because you are attaching it directly against the house. Such an antenna problably won't be happy unless it is Stood Off 9 feet from the house ..... so it is not touching the house. It wants to be in Free Space - at least 1/4 wavelength away from nearby objects.
Thank you for your reply, what about sloping it from peak to middle of yard away from house instead of vee or straight dipole? Should positive be up or put neg.lead up? Thanks again for sharing
8.3 foot legs,soldered good. I just put it up as a slope and swr came down to 1.3 and 1.5 ,my cb is pushing 5 watts .I can hear Florida, Washington,Dallas.....but no local chatter? Thanks for your help. I'm glad to see a forum with nice people. Some of these forums are not so good....thanks again.
What do you mean by "slope"; as opposed to what, an Inverted-V?
The Sloper Antenna Explained With A Twist
The classic sloper antenna has its advantages and its drawbacks. This article reveals ways to avoid the major drawback.
www.hamradiosecrets.com
Full/Half-Sloper Antenna Calculator - K7MEM
Full/Half-Sloper Antenna Calculator
marmes100.dreamhosters.com
Dipole Slope
The results of antenna modeling of a half-wave dipole set at various angles between vertical and horizontal.
www.qsl.net
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Hung at an almost vertical center dipole, 70° maybe, I read about it and I'm going to try again tomorrow . Thanks
You can do the Sloper and it should work .... just keep in mind that all these sorts of short wire antennas you can considering and trying to make work .... and being relatively low to the ground - don't expect them to Kick Ass. Locally or DX. You will not be Running With The Big Boys in the area ..... but I realize that you are trying to put something up that will work to get yourself on the air.
I did turn my inverted V into a sloper and picked up and talked to the big boys locally and heard all kinds of skip today that we never heard before . It was very cool.you're right I'm not going to get out very far but I'm going to throw one of them little Italian amps on it and hopefully get at least 10 to 12 miles out. I live in hoa community that sucks. So I need to be stealthy. It's coming of the back peak of my house sloping towards town. It worked. Wife's happy. How do I check dead key and swing watts? I have workman 3p cheap meter with dual swr and watt. But when I talk into mic, watt meter stays at 4.5 watts...even when I scream into it.lol any thoughts. Thanks for sharing
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