I have tried to help him with suggestions. I recommended considering ladder line, but as in all things there are those who have the mind set that if it is 11 meters then it shouldn't even be considered, or unless it is a dipole or some other wire antenna there is no use using it. None of the claims, counterclaims, suggestions, and counter suggestions would prevent many of us from considering all the points of discussion for solutions and running with what we considered the best choice, but oatmeal does not know many of the things we do, and has to think in terms of what he does know, which at this point is:
1. His buddies that helped him run the previous line up the hill were his guide for the doable feedline. Well, it was not kosher, but miraculously it got results, and, the Holy Grail, SWR, was low. So this is the extent of show-me-so-I'll-know.
2. He lacks both the skill set, the knowledge base, and the practical experience to do more than follow someone else' lead, or simply buy a run of recommended coax with the ends already on it for his feedline.
Without trying to disparage anyone, especially my distant friend, Oatmeal, I am simply trying to provide perspective for why He is having difficulty relating to some of what has been said, and what we are asking him about.
He did not ask me to say anything, and I hope he isn't upset because I did.
Maybe some of us can start again and advise him of what it is we would consider doing in his place and see if we can dial him in.
As I understand it, toward the front and sides of his place are nearby neighbors that he is concerned with running RF into their homes, and an extensive network of power lines that defeat any ears under 3 or more S-units. Usually more.
Additionally, he is concerned with upsetting the landlord should he try to raise an larger antenna type than an Imax 2k over twenty or so feet on a pole. Guying isn't an option.
This leads to why he put his GP 5/8 back on the mountain and solicited help to get it there. It comes as a great surprise to me how it worked at all over that distance the way it was spliced (knotted?) together, but it did, which has added to his perplexity.
So, if it were me, and I did not have, nor could I get any real hardline, heliax, whichever, I would either make or buy a twin lead ladder line and suspend it from point A to point B and deal with the impedance differences through transformation techniques as required. This would be the most loss free answer for a several hundred feet long run even for an 11 meters vertical or Yagi setup.
There hasn't been any other suggestions any better in several forums, yet, at least not clearly so.
Given his skill level even this is intimidating, but he really wants to get on the air with a working system.
Anyone?
