Tom,
For what it's worth, here is a peek at the swr of my Windom:
75/80 meters: 1.8:1 bottom of band, 2.4:1 top of band, nothing lower than
1.8:1 anywhere in the band.
40 meters: 2.4:1 bottom of band, 1.5:1 top of band, 1.0:1 at 7,.200 khz.
20 meters: 2.2:1 bottom of band, 1.0:1 top of band, most of ssb portion is
less than 1.3:1
17 meters: 1.0:1 at mid band.
12 meters: 1.5:1 across entire band.
10 meters: 2.4 bottom of band, 2.2:1 top of band, best swr 1.6:1 at 28.600
khz
6 meters: 1.3:1 across bottom 200 khz of band
You've mentioned 15 meters again. Mine is 5:1 across the entire band, which
is how it should be. Antenna isn't going to work harmonicly on that
band. If you get low swr on 15 meters, something else is out of whack, and
if you use 15 meter performance as a benchmark for the antenna, you are
barking up the wrong tree.
Used mine to work all 600 plus QSO's in the PAQSO, but will be pulling it
down in a few weeks to get the 160 meter antenna back up.
73, Steve KW3A
----- Original Message -----
From: "T Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 8:07 PM
Subject: Re: Windom
> Hey, Pat.
>
> First of all, sorry for the delay in my response.
>
> I have just been super busy with mid-term grades, helping plan our
> upcoming
> SET exercise for tomorrow, and a bunch of other things.
>
> Because of all this, I haven't had tons of time to experiment with my new
> Windom, so these observations are tentative at best.
>
> What I think I can say for sure is that my new Windom performs better than
> my G5RV ever did. I am still not sure it is cut exactly to the right
> length, but the SWR's are great on the top half of the 80-meter band, and
> maybe down to 2.5 to 1 on the lowest part of the band.
>
> On 40 and 20, my SWR's are about 3 to 1 on the band edges, but they look
> better toward the center of each band.
>
> My SWR's are still off on 15 amd 10 meters, though, and I want to
> determine
> someday if the resonant frequency nearest those gbands is either too low
> or
> to high.
>
> And, the SWR's look real nice on 17 meters--just about 1 to 1 across the
> entire band.
>
> I was actually pleasantly surprised how well the antenna performed for me
> on
> 75 and 40 meters for the Pennsylvania QSO party two week-ends ago.
>
> You may remember that 40 meters on the Saturday of the contest was
> absolutely horrendous, yet I was still able to make contacts.
>
> 75 meters was great, and the Windom did even better than either my G5RV,
> or
> my old dipole I still have up that is cut for the lower part of 80.
>
> If you were to ask for my vote right now, I'd say go with the Windom, if
> you
> have one ready to put up.
>
> I don't totally know what my SWR's should look like for a perfectly-cut
> Windom, but even with my SWR's being somewhat questionable, I still think
> the Windom outperforms the G5RV.
>
> It tunes very well with the auto-tuner in the TS480, which my G5RV didn't
> do
> on a number of the higher bands.
>
> Now, I have a question:
>
> Do you have one of those LDG tw1 talking watt meters?
>
> If you do, and if you put your Windom up, let me know how your SWR's are,
> and it'll provide me with a good comparative framework.
>
> The person helping me put up the Windom did say too that some of my SWR's
> might be thrown off somewhat by the fact that the Windom does come near
> some
> of the guy wires for my tower, and isn't terribly far from a power line
> that
> runs through the northwest side of my property.
>
> I'm now rambling, so I'll stop, but I hope this helps at least a little.
>
> 73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pat Byrne" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 8:54 PM
> Subject: Re: Windom
>
>
>> Tom,
>> Now that a little time has passed have you reached any conclusions
>> about the Windem vs. the G5RV? I am trying hard to make a decision
>> soon as to what will go up in my new back yard in those wonderful tall
>> trees!!
>> And the DXcc antenna is still a possibility.
>> But your opinion, please.
>> Pat, K9JAUAt 06:20 PM 9/23/2008, you wrote:
>>>Hello all.
>>>
>>>Well, this past week-end, we finally got my new Windom up.
>>>
>>>However, there's one small bummer.
>>>
>>>We couldn't do the large 160-meter version, simply because my property
>>>was
>>>not big enough to accommodate it. So, I now have an 80-meter Windom.
>>>
>>>It's approximately 125 feet long--80 feet to the south, and 45 feet to
>>>the
>>>north. The center is mounted to my tower, with each leg mounted to
>>>conveniently-located trees. The center, and the legs are basically about
>>>35
>>>feet up.
>>>
>>>The antenna tunes with the auto-tuner in the TS480 on 80, 40, 20, 17, 15,
>>>and 10 meters.
>>>
>>>It doesn't tune on 30 meters, which doesn't surprise me.
>>>
>>>I haven't tried the 60 meter freqs yet, so will let everyone know how
>>>that
>>>is.
>>>
>>>So, I guess I'll have to wait to somehow get on 160 meters some other
>>>Winter.
>>>
>>>But you know what they say: Any antenna is a compromise, and at least
>>>I'm
>>>now in better shape on some of the bands than I was before.
>>>
>>>If anyone has any neat ideas for getting on 160, let me know.
>>>
>>>My hf antennas are now the new Windom, an old 80/40 meter dipole that
>>>doesn't work too well, and my KLM tri-bander for 10, 15, and 20.
>>>
>>>73 from Tom behler: KB8TYJ
>>
>
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