Hi, all.

Well, I didn't get to do the 40-meter round table today, because a couple of 
hams and I were out in our 32-degree, but at least sunny weather putting my 
Cobra Ultralite Senior antenna up this afternoon and evening.

The antenna is about 25 feet off the ground, and is pretty much a flat top.

Had about 30 extra feet of ladder line, which we have coiled and secured off 
the ground near the corner of the house.  The antenna is connected to the 
Balun Designs balun, which sits right outside my shack window.


The antenna does seem to get out, at least on 80 meters, which is where I 
really needed an antenna.  I made a number of contacts in the North American 
Sprint contest on 80 meters, and those contacts ranged from Minesota to 
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and South Dakota.

But, I do have a question:

At first, the antenna did not tune on the lower part of 80 and 40 meters, 
using the auto tuner in my TS590.

However, I used an old trick that I learned from the G5RV installation in my 
RV, and a trick that, I think Lou from the list used. .. I added about 75 
feet of coax at the transmitter end of the antenna, and then it tuned just 
fine.

Do you think this is normal for this type of antenna?

Is there something else I should try to deal with the SWR issue on the 
bottom of 40 and 80?

I don't know how much more time I'll have this week-end to work with the 
antenna, but at least it's up in the air, and can be tweaked from here.

Tom Behler: KB8TYJ, Big Rapids, MI