Random Wire and MFJ-941e Question

[sp5it]

I wrote that before. Fan dipole. Tuned to resonant frequency. Easy to put, easy to dismount.Like that: http://files.qrz.com/f/w4gmf/DSCN1345.jpg or http://www.hamuniverse.com/32DipoleMultiBand.JPG
Multiple dipoles do the trick too: https://dxnews.com/upload/images/tidra-5t5ti-qsl.jpg it looks as wire mess to dry clothes than an antenna.
And I would start with 20m. 10/12 is dead most of the time especially on wires.
Mike

 

[CB590]

With the fan dipole idea..

Can I just pop a 3/8-24 bolt into where my old antenna was (up on the 10' vertical post) and come off that for the center pin feed and use the ground plane mount to run the matching other side of the 'dipole' out in equal lengths..

The bolt would feed to the left up tree for half of 20m side and then the other side would run right toward an upright piece of broom handle at equal length??

I have 12' of LMR-240 coax going to the mount already for the old CB antenna..

Here is the ground plane mount on side with ground wires.. The idea would be to sub in the dipole - to where you see the current wires.. The mount has an NMO-Stud adaptor (not shown)

 

[CB590]

Granted I have an antenna tuner.. But going with coax out would bypass the built-in 4:1 balun..

Unless your suggesting cutting the end of the coax inside the shack and shoving it into the balanced line input?

Or are you saying the normal tuning 'caps' would work and just use the coax connection in 'tune' mode since its a resonate antenna??

Confused..

 

[camaro1]

the 4:1 balun built into the tuner is for using 300-600 ohm ladder line / twin lead / open feed line

from what I have read you want to use the single wire terminal on the tuner and have your tuner grounded good,,, ,in that case you just run a single wire from the tuner to outside and where ever your going to run it, the entire wire becomes your antenna. the 4:1 balun is not used in that case.(remember there is always 2 halves to an antenna and the wire from the single output will be working against the tuner ground system) this set up usually doesn't work well but that's what radio is about, trying different things

if I were you I would use the balanced line output of the tuner with your choice of (300 ohm twin lead, 450 ohm ladder line or 600 ohm true ladder line open wire feeder) run that outside and make the longest dipole you can(even if you have to bend the ends around a corner) whatever you can get in the air, feed it direct with the twin lead/ ladder line or 600 ohm feed line

I have 2 hf mutli band wire antennas , 1 is a 80m doublet fed with 600 ohm true ladder line/open feed line to a Johnson match box and the other is a 40m dipole fed with 300 ohm twin lead to another Johnson matchbox or my mfj993 auto tuner. both work multi bands and no rf in the house at all,,, I cant believe how easy it is to work with really.

 

[binrat]

End fed random wire antenna is what I'm playing with.
read this - http://www.earchi.org/92011endfedfiles/Endfed6_40.pdf
From what I have seen the 4:1 is not suitable, but a 9:1 unun is.

 

[CB590]

the 4:1 balun built into the tuner is for using 300-600 ohm ladder line / twin lead / open feed line

from what I have read you want to use the single wire terminal on the tuner and have your tuner grounded good,,, ,in that case you just run a single wire from the tuner to outside and where ever your going to run it, the entire wire becomes your antenna. the 4:1 balun is not used in that case.(remember there is always 2 halves to an antenna and the wire from the single output will be working against the tuner ground system) this set up usually doesn't work well but that's what radio is about, trying different things

if I were you I would use the balanced line output of the tuner with your choice of (300 ohm twin lead, 450 ohm ladder line or 600 ohm true ladder line open wire feeder) run that outside and make the longest dipole you can(even if you have to bend the ends around a corner) whatever you can get in the air, feed it direct with the twin lead/ ladder line or 600 ohm feed line

I have 2 hf mutli band wire antennas , 1 is a 80m doublet fed with 600 ohm true ladder line/open feed line to a Johnson match box and the other is a 40m dipole fed with 300 ohm twin lead to another Johnson matchbox or my mfj993 auto tuner. both work multi bands and no rf in the house at all,,, I cant believe how easy it is to work with really.

I have no more funds. $320 over budget.

 

[CB590]

Can anyone chime in on doing coax out to my suggested FAN dipole idea??

I got wire, I got coax going out to the mount, I got a tuner.

I can maybe do a ugly 1:1 if I can find 25' of 50 ohm coax and mount that before the proposed fan dipole idea if needed.

 

[camaro1]

your end fed 9:1 unun end fed is still going to use coax to feed it from the tuner to the 9:1 unun, and you may have a band or 2 with good swr, the others may be high in the 5:1 swr or more so coax loss will be great, even if the tuner is fine with it and you will for sure need some type of choke before the coax comes into the house or you will have rf all over

if your doing a fan dipole you shouldn't need a tuner if each leg is trimmed to correct length,,

300ohm twin lead is cheap and easy to work with,, just sayin,,, I have tried many different wire antennas, including the 9:1 unun end feds and so far my low dipole fed with twinlead works way better for a multi band wire

 

[kb9ghn]

Things are getting way too complicated from what I see here...if you are running 100 watts or less just make sure the tuner has a good ground...and use the random wire output on your tuner to feed your wire to the tree out back keeping the tuner close to where the wire exits the shack... See if it tunes o.k. where you want to use it...I have been doing that for over 20 years...done by military comms for over 75 years...as long as power levels are kept low you will be o.k......gud luck...Vic

 

[w9cll]

This - https://www.gigaparts.com/mfj-918.html?gclid=CM_z566ch9QCFUobaQodG44Giw
This - http://www.jpmsupply.com/50ft-UHF-t...p/900075.htm?gclid=CIS-x8qch9QCFZGHaQodyBYIzA
And this - https://www.delcity.net/store/14-Ga...p_kw=&mp_mt=&gclid=CIOC1uKch9QCFd66wAodnJoCJw
Is all you need.

You can change out the balun to match whatever you want to build.

 

[CB590]

While that makes sense I don't need 50' to get to my tree. My solo tree is less than 12' from shack room. Also I'm beyond broke

 

[w9cll]

I don't need 50' to get to my tree.

But you would have some leftover for more antennas

 

[CB590]

I think I'm going try in this order.

1. Try tuning with tuner my existing Firestik II 5' antenna to a solid 10m (aka get new rig on air) Still got skip DX up here.

1. Single random wire as long as I can get doing inverted L and back into tree.

2. Twin 12AWG coming out as balanced lines to make a 20m resonate dipole and use the 4:1 balun built in (if that would work?)

3. Existing coax to try making 20m fan dipole on my existing 3/8-24 antenna mounting point

On option 3 do I need a 1:1 balun or the 9:1.. Keeping in mind the 20m dipole will be trimmed to resonate..

Advise on my best option.

 

[w9cll]

Existing coax to try making 20m fan dipole on my existing 3/8-24 antenna mounting point

There is no such thing as a "20 meter fan dipole". A fan dipole is a multi-wire dipole setup for different bands. This is what I use with wires for 17, 20 and 40. I load 15 onto the 40 meter wire and use a tuner for 10, 12, 30, 60...etc.

 

[CB590]

There is no such thing as a "20 meter fan dipole". A fan dipole is a multi-wire dipole setup for different bands. This is what I use with wires for 17, 20 and 40. I load 15 onto the 40 meter wire and use a tuner for 10, 12, 30, 60...etc.

I said fan in case I decided to add other lengths.. But 20m single band to start as suggested by the other user..

Would I need a balun to do this or just coax to the split 12awg wire that is trimmed to resonate?? I'm thinking a 1:1 just under the antenna mount point.. But I dunno??