- Doublet for 80 – 10 fed by balanced feeder
- Non counterpoise aerial (See table for variants)
- Table for different coverage
After reading up the published info and mailing Pete, i thought that this might be worth a try. I decided to build a 20-6 metre version. I cut a length of speaker cable (or called low voltage twin cable) 12.5 feet long, and a length of 24/0.2 connecting wire 12.5 feet long. I soldered this single wire on the end of one of the twin cables, making note that this would be the “hot” or radiating element. I then used insulating tape to cover the joint and to “weatherproof” the cut ends. I then wound 10 turns on a ferrite core to act as a 1:1 balun or RF insulator at the “feed point” of the aerial. I then used insulating tape on the soldered joints and to avoid the winding moving, I used Tye-wraps.
- 1:1 balun or feedpoint for my portable non-counterpoise
Having made this I connected around 10 feet of twin cable to act as ribbon feeder to an AMU which had a 4:1 balun built in. Having used my aerial analyser, checked that it could be resonated on 20 – 10 meters using the AMU, noting the settings. I then connected the FT-817 to see how it worked and found the noise level had dropped to S1 and signals were heard! A rush into the shack and the noise level was still S8 so the non-counterpoise was connected via a coax lead to the shack, and switching between the two aerials, the noise was there or not depending on the selected aerial!!! I moved the non-counterpoise aerial near to the house and the noise level shot up. So a quick re-think took place and I made another version for the base station, using a 4:1 balun at the feed point so I could use a direct 50 Ω coax feeder to the shack.
- 4:1 balun feed point of my base version of the non-counterpoise
My base version is set up with the feed point on the fence and sloping towards the house, which blends in with the rest of the domestic site. Currently the noise level is around S1-2, I am able to work on 20m upwards. During recent sporadic E openings on 10 meters, I worked from North to South Europe. Later I tried the portable version on the stone jetty here in Morecambe, wound helically around a 6m pole, I heard around Europe and Stateside on 20m. (would have tried longer and maybe tried working but the batteries went on the ‘817!
My next plan is to make a 50 foot version for operating on 40 meters upwards but firstly I need to find out the local noise one source is from the street lights and I hope to get the local authority to find the cause. the other local
- My portable version wound on a kite winder
source I hope OfCom will help in deaing with.The next version, I may make from 300 Ω ribbon cable as it may be more weatherproof!
UPDATE (28 July 2009)
Have re-read the notes and replaced the 4:1 balun with a 1:1 choke ( 8 – 10 turns on a ferrite bead) and will try this out now. First tests make it seem a bit “more lively!”. When can afford it! will replace this with 450Ω ribbon as it should decrease the losses