Apparently the Van Ordt Pow-R-Stick also uses multiple (4) parallel elements. I believe they’re helical in the Van Ordt antenna. Though, I think this one is off to the history books, also.
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I have zero idea as to the credibility of this article, but it doesn’t appear to be written to highlight the performance of parallel antenna elements. Incidentally, perhaps, it does.
https://paulshinn.us/copper/bigcoil/
All the antennas tested are 1/4 wave loaded antennas of various sorts, except one - the Van Ordt, which uses 4 parallel elements.
Interestingly, it shows what I’ve long felt, that antennas of similar OAL perform nearly identically. There’s a bunch of 5.5’ antennas that demonstrate that nicely, all having about 92% efficiency. The outlier of the 5.5’ group is the Pow-R-Stick, the performance of which is comparable to the 7’ antennas.
It would have been mighty interesting to see an Amazer or Wheeler Dealer included in this mix, or better yet, two/four of them on a dibar/quad disk.
There is something to this end fed parallel element thing...the holdup being the practical limit for most uses as compared to the benefits. In other words, sometimes the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
Also...though the sample size of shorter antennas is small, the test does tend to show another thing I’ve long noted, below 5’ antenna performance drops sharply.
https://paulshinn.us/copper/bigcoil/
All the antennas tested are 1/4 wave loaded antennas of various sorts, except one - the Van Ordt, which uses 4 parallel elements.
Interestingly, it shows what I’ve long felt, that antennas of similar OAL perform nearly identically. There’s a bunch of 5.5’ antennas that demonstrate that nicely, all having about 92% efficiency. The outlier of the 5.5’ group is the Pow-R-Stick, the performance of which is comparable to the 7’ antennas.
It would have been mighty interesting to see an Amazer or Wheeler Dealer included in this mix, or better yet, two/four of them on a dibar/quad disk.
There is something to this end fed parallel element thing...the holdup being the practical limit for most uses as compared to the benefits. In other words, sometimes the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
Also...though the sample size of shorter antennas is small, the test does tend to show another thing I’ve long noted, below 5’ antenna performance drops sharply.
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Correct. Antennas shorter than 1/4 wave all need a coil (bottom, middle, or top) in order to make up for the lost length. The shortest antennas have the longest coils, and also the largest inductive losses. Since antennas with a coil radiate from the top of the coil, a top loaded antenna is be the best of the bunch since it sees the furthest horizon. (assuming we're talking mobile antennas here). In my experience, the 7 foot FIRESTIK KW7 is the top performing loaded antenna out there. (tallest w/ shortest coil).
Whip antennas are the best overall performers because they don't have a coil with its associated inductive losses. Steel whips have the largest radiating area, and are slightly better than fiberglass whips, which contain a smaller diameter copper wire. The exceptions are the Francis AMAZER and WHEELER DEALER which contain 3 copper wire elements, and therefore a radiating area close to that of a steel whip.
I ran an Amazer on the rollbar of my Toyota 4X4 pickup. With a Superstar 360FM driving a DX500 linear I talked DX everyday. I felt that if I could hear a station, he would definitely hear me. I opted for the AMAZER over the steel whip because the wind resistance caused the steel whip to bend over too far when I was driving down the road. The drawback to the AMAZER was the damage it sustained from low hanging branches and low underpasses. I solved that problem by replacing the red antenna tip with a 1" piece of LEXAN rod stock with a small hole drilled partially through it, so that it was a tight press fit on the antenna. The tough Lexan plastic protected the antenna 100%.
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I never played with fiberglass antennas (other than a full quarter wave), but I always figured a KW7 would be a top performer. I’m unsurprised to hear your experience on that.
Thanks for the comments!
Thanks for the comments!
Jeff or anybody, could you give me some dimensions from your Francis, the part in dledinger's post above for Fig 7, showing the base hub ferrule. I'm looking at the mounting ferrule with the fiber glass inside. I'm also curious about the FG tip diameter. I asked my kids to look for mine in the garage, but they could not find my orange or my gray antennas.
I'm redoing my Eznec model similar to the one noted in Fig 8, in the pattern shown on sheet #3, in dledinger's post #24, above.
I would like to know the diameter for the FG at the base right above the mounting ferrule.
I would also like the FG diameter at the tip.
If you can, check and see if you can see any wires showing anywhere on the outside, a few inches below the tip, or at the tip itself. I seem to remember the FG tip being about <>1/8" inch in diameter.
I also remember the wire was very small, maybe 1/32" and very hard to cut. Maybe it was made of steel with a very light blue silver color, but my memory is not so good anymore, so I need help.
I'm redoing my Eznec model similar to the one noted in Fig 8, in the pattern shown on sheet #3, in dledinger's post #24, above.
I would like to know the diameter for the FG at the base right above the mounting ferrule.
I would also like the FG diameter at the tip.
If you can, check and see if you can see any wires showing anywhere on the outside, a few inches below the tip, or at the tip itself. I seem to remember the FG tip being about <>1/8" inch in diameter.
I also remember the wire was very small, maybe 1/32" and very hard to cut. Maybe it was made of steel with a very light blue silver color, but my memory is not so good anymore, so I need help.
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Back in the day, I had a CB buddy that was notorious for talking big-time in his fine looking black 213serg 1985 Buick LeSabre with a black 7' foot Skipshooter that was well slanted back on the trunk. He was probably running something else besides his radio, but that mobile could really talk local and DX. He talked over me and others on our base antennas all the time.
I was always tempted to get me a 7' Skipshooter, but I never did. That report above shows this antenna second-to-none along with the 102" whip and I believe it.
He once told me, with my promise to keep it quite, that he searched around looking for RF hot-spots, and he would park there and shoot skip. He had no trouble getting his name called.
I was always tempted to get me a 7' Skipshooter, but I never did. That report above shows this antenna second-to-none along with the 102" whip and I believe it.
He once told me, with my promise to keep it quite, that he searched around looking for RF hot-spots, and he would park there and shoot skip. He had no trouble getting his name called.
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I am working today Eddie.
But I will try to get some measurements for you.
On the one that I snapped off it was very easy to see the 3 wires attached to the base connector.
This antenna has copper wire, as I recall it looked to be about 14 gauge.
It was still connected to the base and the 3 wires were still holding it attached.
I MIGHT still have that broken antenna around here somewhere, as I don't rember if I hauled it off to the landfill.
Will try to find it because it clearly shows the 3 copper wires at the base.
73
Jeff
But I will try to get some measurements for you.
On the one that I snapped off it was very easy to see the 3 wires attached to the base connector.
This antenna has copper wire, as I recall it looked to be about 14 gauge.
It was still connected to the base and the 3 wires were still holding it attached.
I MIGHT still have that broken antenna around here somewhere, as I don't rember if I hauled it off to the landfill.
Will try to find it because it clearly shows the 3 copper wires at the base.
73
Jeff
I am working today Eddie.
But I will try to get some measurements for you.
On the one that I snapped off it was very easy to see the 3 wires attached to the base connector.
This antenna has copper wire, as I recall it looked to be about 14 gauge.
It was still connected to the base and the 3 wires were still holding it attached.
I MIGHT still have that broken antenna around here somewhere, as I don't rember if I hauled it off to the landfill.
Will try to find it because it clearly shows the 3 copper wires at the base.
73
Jeff
But I will try to get some measurements for you.
On the one that I snapped off it was very easy to see the 3 wires attached to the base connector.
This antenna has copper wire, as I recall it looked to be about 14 gauge.
It was still connected to the base and the 3 wires were still holding it attached.
I MIGHT still have that broken antenna around here somewhere, as I don't rember if I hauled it off to the landfill.
Will try to find it because it clearly shows the 3 copper wires at the base.
73
Jeff
I do my DXing from public access points on the inter-coastal waterway. Doesn’t much matter for DX under 1000 miles, but it sure helps with the long range stuff. I always try to make a few contacts while crossing the high-rise bridges to the islands, too!!!
Here’s one such spot, looking out across the sound, facing south, south east:
And as soon as I pulled up a few minutes ago(sorry for the shaky camera, was writing and talking with the other hand)