Hi, all.
Well, I have some good news on the RV G5RV front this morning.
Yesterday, I did a bunch of checking on feed lines, etc., and since all
looked ok from a continuity stand-point, I took the leap and put the G5RV up
again. This time, it is in some trees, and pretty much in the clear from
nearby RV's and other metal structures. The center is not that
high--probably only about 20 feet, and the ends are probably about 20 feet
high as well. The ladder line comes down at about a 45-degree angle to the
feed line connection point in a tree just to the back of my RV at about head
level. The antenna orientation is northwest to southeast. I lashed
together about 50 feet of coax jumpers that I had lying around to add to the
15 or 20 feet of coax that runs from the antenna connector on the back
corner of the RV, to my operating position inside.
I found that the antenna tunes, using the auto-tuner on the TS480, on 10,
15, 20, the upper half of 40, and the lower half of 80. At one point, I
actually got it to tune on the lower end of 40, but after doing some other
things, have not been able to replicate that condition.
The antenna does seem to get out. I worked a bunch of stations for the
Kansas QSO Party on 20, and probably jus as many for the Ohio QSO Party on
40. In fact, I worked one station right after Steve (KW3A) worked them. On
20 meters, I also worked into Europe both on SSB and CW. The signal reports
I got were good, for the most part.
So, now, I am in tweaking mode. Do you guys have any ideas for getting the
antenna to tune on the lower part of 40 meters? I have seriously thought of
purchasing a nice solid 50-foot chunk of RG8X coax, and putting that in the
feed line system, in hopes that it might do better than the lashed-together
arrangement that I currently have.
One specific question I also have is this--where do I put the excess coax?
Do I put it outside near the RV antenna connection, or inside the shack at
the transmitter--or, doesn't it matter?
I won't be out at the RV next week-end for Labor Day, because the XYL and I
will be traveling to Missouri to visit our son and his family, but I will be
out there the week-end after that, and hopefully, for the remaining
week-endss in September before they close down the camp ground.
Any thoughts or suggestions for improving the performance of this antenna
would be appreciated.
73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
|