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Hello all,


Hope your sunday was a good one. Thank you for the advice.

A lot of great info and believe me I'm eating it up. However, no offence guys, but yes, I know the coax is 50 ohms. But I did not know how the maufacturers came up with the figures, so I've learned something here.


I have no intention on wrapping .405 around a 4" pipe. Especially after L.C. advised me a day or two ago. Thank you. But I might have tried since I have seen a few pictures of guys doing that. That is why I was asking about the center core of the coax if it was better to have stranded or the solid core.


I know the stranded core is fairly new perhaps and was just wondering. I myself would rather prefer the solid core coax, I have read & if I'm not mistaken, many more prefer the solid. I wouldn't know if one is better than the other due to me not having any statistics on this. But I have also read from others that solid gives a better, cleaner signal for all I know.


With all this said, I do plan on getting a 8" diameter pipe soon. Is this the standard for 11 meter band? or could I even go a good 10" in diameter? and if so, would this change the amount of wraps on the pipe? I've looked everywhere on the internet for a guide on these figures, but the only place I've seen any kind of close instructions, was on Ham Universe. lol, that's where I saw the guys building their chokes with .405 around 4" pipes. Well, a few of them did use larger pipes and less turns.


I must say, the PVC is not cheap.  $24.00 just for a 10" X 1' piece. So I was thinking if 8" diameter was the least we could go with .405, wouldn't 10" be even better? Safer? I know that's straying a bit from Beetle's calculation method, so maybe 10" would throw off the balancing of the antenna & coax?


How about you L.C., are you using a Balun? I would say probably not due to the Astroplanes being a great antenna, but if you are, is it a 8" pipe? Just wondering.


And please, don't think I'm not acting upon all the advice I've been given here, because I am. Already threw down another buck & a half at least between the newer coax & GPK I ordered the other day. But as you said, "to give my antenna a fighting chance".


I also read that the number of wraps of the coax for the Balun was not as critical as the length of the balun, but all I really have is pictures to go by and no solid charts or statistics.


I value most if not all the info I receive here. I'm no theoretical genious with equations, but that hasn't stopped me from even searching for some kind of Balun engineering calculator. I just want it right. I also read somewhere that there were limits to the impedance when in fact your building a current balun.


Yeah, you can say I have the fever. And I'm feverishly seeking all the information I can. Thank you Beetle for the calculation method on figuring out the diameter pipe to use. Yep, it was 5" on the money for the smaller coax. And 8" for .405 So I'm just going to get the 8" pipe & do what I'm told. lol.


It may seem as if I'm rushing here, but I'm really not, considering all the questions I'm throwing out here in the wind. :-) But H_ll, I've come such a long ways already to be fooling around. I really am grateful to all the advice you guys are giving me. I refuse to argue with anyone on here. I don't have time for that kind of stuff. Sometime's people are very opinionated. I can understand how indifferences can cause calamities from time to time.


As my profile states, I'm here to learn all I can. Especially from the veterans in this field especially. I'm also willing to share what I know, even if it ain't squat! Actually, I feel kind of funny still about giving any advice out there yet due to my skin being so green.


Anyways, got to hit the hay now as they keep making me switch shifts at work every weekend it seems. Got to be up by 4:20 am in the morning. But the good thing about that is, I'll be home in the evening to hear some skip.


BTW, I keep hearing this southern guy all over the bands in the evenings, Every time he hands the break over, he will end his break with: No Brakes, All Drive & I Goooooo! 


Anyone else ever hear this guy? He's got to be running some power I thought.



73's

James