Thanks for the vote of confidence, Danny.
It's kind of scary sometimes spending all this money for an antenna that you
hope you can use, but then again, I guess you don't know till you try.
I'll be interested to see if others on the list have any thoughts.
73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Danny Dyer" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: working with a Predator Screw-driver-type antenna
> Hi Tom, congrats on finishing another teaching year. Although I've not
used
> that particular antenna, I have successfully used the Super Antennas MP1,
> which is, in effect, a sort of "manual screw driver type antenna." You
> should be able to basically tune for loudest, best, "received signal to
> noise sounds on any particular band, for a ball park start, then try
your
> swr meter, and tweek with the other tuner if needed. If you can hang a
wire
> counterpoise of some sort, it will likely help your operation somewhat,
but
> you should be able to get some operational fun and effectiveness even
> without it. Keep in touch, I'll be interested to hear your progress,
Danny
> Dyer, Wb4idu.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "T Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 11:39 AM
> Subject: working with a Predator Screw-driver-type antenna
>
>
> > Hi, everyone.
> >
> > Well, my teaching semester at the University has ended, which means that
> > Summer can't be too far behind. And, with Summer comes another round of
> > experimenting with HF antenna arrangements for the RV travel trailer my
> XYL
> > and I recently purchased.
> >
> > I have decided (hopefully wisely) to try a screw-driver type antenna
> called
> > the Predator, to see how that will work for me on HF. I am going to
mount
> > the antenna system on a pipe that has been welded to the spare tire
holder
> > on the back of the trailer. I am doing this simply because my XYL and I
> > have found it difficult to string long wires and dipoles at most camp
> sites.
> > I also had worked with the Buddipole modular antenna system last year
with
> > rather limited success, due to the fact that that particular antenna
> system
> > turned out to involve multiple combinations of tap and coil settings,
> making
> > it rather "user unfriendly" for a blind ham like me.
> >
> > As I get and try this screw-driver type antenna, I am thinking of
several
> > questions.
> >
> > What would be the best strategy for adjusting the antenna system so as
to
> > get the best SWR? I have a talking SWR meter from Remy Simard that
should
> > help. I assume I could put the rig on low power, and simply work the
> > antenna up or down until I get the best possible SWR. Has anyone ever
> > worked with one of these screw-driver-type antennas? If so, does this
> > strategy make sense, or do you have other suggestions?
> >
> >
> > I also have an LDG AT11MP auto-tuner that I use with my portable HF
> set-up,
> > but I would think that that wouldn't be usable in this case, since, in
> > effect, the screw-driver antenna is already a tuner, and you'd then have
> two
> > tuners working against each other.
> >
> > Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated here. I hope I haven't
> > bitten off more than I can chew, but I guess it's worth a try.
> >
> > Best 73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ, Big Rapids, MI
> >
>
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