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Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002 19:52:17 -0600
From: Tim - N9PUZ <N9PUZ at arrl.net>
To: Schunn99 at aol.com,
        Low Power Amateur Radio Discussion <qrp-l at Lehigh.EDU>
Subject: [123107] Re: random wire antennas?


> I was searching the web and read some qrp websites that mentioned
random wire
> antennas? I know you need a atu and that it is a muti-band antenna.
Could you
> guys give me the specs on that kind of antenna?( db, length, what
kind of
> wire is good to use) If someone could give any building instructions
and do
> you just attach a bnc connector to one end of the wire and then
attach the
> bnc to the tuner?
> I have been looking at different types of antennas to build.
> Scott Hunnicutt
> Kg4oqu

I've had good recent success with an off center fed long wire. While
not true QRP operation I've made about a dozen PSK31 contacts to the
East coast, Texas, West coast, and Canada running about 10 watts.

http://www.arrl.org/members-only/tis/info/Html/antennas/oflw.html

This isn't a typical end fed wire where the radiator comes all the way
into your shack. I build one of these last week cut specifically for
17 Meters. It works well on 17 directly coupled and tunes up well on
40, 20, and 15 too. The length is 1 wavelength for the frequency of
most interest and it is fed with coax 1/4 wave from one end.

My shack is on the 2nd floor of the house and this worked out much
better than an end fed wire that requires a really good RF ground or
counterpoise wires running inside the room. Made with small gauge wire
and light coax it would make a good portable antenna I think.

Tim  N9PUZ

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