Antenna Question

I would like to buy a Carolina Windom 80. The problem is I only have 60 feet to each corner of my property. One leg of the Windom is 50' but the other is 80'. I have heard that you can let the last 20' of the 80' leg just hang down the tree. Is this true? It seems it would be a waste of the last 20' and the antenna wouldn't act the same as one put up properly.

I don't want to buy this thing then find it won't work here.. any suggestions?

73
John

 

To bend the end of dipole - an usual deal. Is no terrible here.
Sure - the tree can some move down the resounding frequency of your antenna.
Doubtful that this will be a problem on low bands, but on upper bands - already probably.

 

I've done this...sort of

http://fraziersleeveddipoles.wetpaint.com/page/HF+Antennas

All I can say is visit Cebik's web page( http://www.cebik.com/helpme.htm ), read a lot, he has several dimensions which show different lengths by varying the position of the feed point, then start with as long as possible & trim until you get resonant on your desired frequencies. My model works well with a compact auto-tuner, 4:1 balun at the feed point and tunes everything from 10- 80m with some difficulty on 15m. I almost never get on 15m, so I'm not disappointed at all. http://www.hamuniverse.com/antennas.html

 

Because it's an asymmetric antenna it might be best to droop both ends, proportionally, rather than just one end.

Off-centre fed dipoles can be interesting. When they are good they are very very good; When they are bad they are horrid.

 

Thanks for the answers guys, I appreciate it. I have also been told I can 90 degree the 80' leg to another tree.. if this is true it opens a lot of options [got a lot of trees].

Dropping both legs is a possibility but would really shorten the short leg. I'd hate to buy it then find this W5GI was better.

 

http://www.packetradio.com/windom.htm

Scroll way down the page.



"The Windom can be installed as a Droop-End (see figure D below) or as a sloper, but in no case, should the angle be greater than 90 degrees against itself."

 

Thanks AE5JU.. and everyone else. That's an interesting page I haven't seen before.
That page answers a lot of questions. :-0

 

Build your own. You will end up saving a LOT plus you will learn a lot doing it. Plus the fact that the ads for the Carolina windom contain so much BS designed to fool the antenna novice...

 

I just built my own this week. It's also a very unideal installation. The first half of the long leg is at maybe 20 feet in the air, and then it slopes down to the fence where it runs to the end. The other side slopes directly from the feedpoint down to the fence, and then over to a tree. The balun I built for free, a 4:1 current balun.

Behavior is quite reasonable, all considered. Resonance on 80 is in the lower part of the band, but the antenna coupler can match it on the upper end. 40 meters is reasonable, though rather low impedance I believe. 20 meters is reasonable, and 10 meters is below 1.2:1 across the whole band. 15 meters complains, worse than 5:1.

All considered, it's a pretty good antenna for free.

 

Can anyone explain the reason for the note "Angle at C and D should not exceed 90 degrees" on the diagram in Post #6 ?

Steve G3TXQ

 

Steve-TXQ,
I've been puzzled by that myself. My OCF installation violates this rule with little effect. The words "greater than 90 degrees against itself" leads me to believe it is a communication problem.
I've noticed if I have to go back to a tailor and tell him the jacket doesn't fit right, the universal response is "oh, you've put on a couple of pounds."
Well, did you install the antenna correctly?
Stu

 

I think that should say "should not be less than 90 degrees". Other wise you could not put it out as a straight wire!

 

And you could bring it back on itself parallel to the top - included angle of zero degrees

Steve G3TXQ

 

This has gotten really interesting..
I have built the W5GI I am now using and a number of dipoles for listening but hadn't considered building the Carolina Windom 80 because of the "low loss matching transformer" and the "special, high isolation line isolator".
To be honest, I don't even know what they are.. much less how to build them.
I've been told to keep the W5GI and just build a 80 meter [a place I seem to be lacking at times] but I'd like to have a all band that works a little better than what I have. I can see that I will always have antenna envy and want something a little better than what I have.

 

If the end of the wire goes straight out, it is bent at 0*.

If the end of the wire goes straight down, it is bent at 90*.

If the end of the wire is bent back upon it self, it is greater than 90*, and is in effect, shortened.