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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Beginning the process

I just placed an order for an Emtech-Ladder Grabber:


This will be the center point for the new doublet antenna.  I could have used a dogbone insulator as a center piece; but this Ladder-Grabber is nice with the hole for a piece of rope and all ......

I haven't decided as to whether or not I will do two 44 foot legs; or perhaps just random length legs as long as I can stretch them to each end.  The leg to the house could be about 64 feet long and the leg to the other side of the backyard could be approximately 50 feet long.  That would give an OCF effect and I'm not sure I want that. The advantage of doing the random length legs is that if I don't like the result, I could always cut them back to 44 foot lengths and then have the classic 88' EDZ.

I will run window line down about 30 feet or so to the ground where I will terminate to a 4:1 current balun.  I will then run coax to the house.  I would run the ladder line all the way to the house; but I have no easy way of keeping it elevated off the ground from the tree to the house and still remain somewhat inconspicuous.  Marianne doesn't mind my antennas as long as they are not "ugly".  The G5RV as it is now is very inconspicuous and if you didn't know it was there, you'd probably miss it.

For wire, I will use some either 14 or 16 gauge stuff that the son of an SK gave me when he was clearing out his father's stuff.  It regular old stranded wire from a hardware store (insulated) - nothing fancy like the stuff you'd get from The Wireman.  The other goal is to economize as much as possible.  Except for the Ladder-Grabber, the only other purchase will be new coax.

This weekend will be busy with a cheer competition for Cara on Sunday and some car shopping on Saturday.  If we don't get any blizzard or Arctic type deep freeze weather, I will try to get this done the following weekend.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

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