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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!stephany.WBST@Xerox.ARPA
From: stephany.WBST@Xerox.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.ham-radio
Subject: Re: Antenna for the winter
Message-ID: <347@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 5-Dec-85 11:14:56 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.347
Posted: Thu Dec  5 11:14:56 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Dec-85 15:51:26 EST
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
Lines: 27

Antenna problem:

A good ground can be made by running more than one wire of different
lengths to the ground stake.  The reasoning is that is one of the wires
is a multiple of a quarter wave, one of the other wires will not be and
will short it.  A good ground should be the first criterion for any ham
installation.

I would suggest a folded dipole for your antenna.  It has the advantage
of : (1) it is balanced and does not depend upon a good ground, (2) it
is horizontal and can be strung inside a room or attic, (3) fits a wide
range of impedances.

Many years ago I strung a 20 meter folded dipole across a room and
worked the world including antartica.  The thing was made of TV 300 ohm
line 10 meters long and was strung through two rooms and supported with
rubberbands and nails.  It was center fed.  The part of the antenna
oppocite the feed point was brought out to two aligator clips.  shorting
these clips gave 20 meters.  Clipping to a piece of 300 ohm line about 2
feet long (cut to get good resonance) gave 15 meters.  A coil scramble
of hookup wire gave 40 meters.  I dont remember what I used for 10, I
think I left it open.

But this was in a home on a hill.  Your location is the most important
factor in the DX you get, not the antenna.

					Joe  N2XS