Jack,
Well it could be worse...? My other half will not permit guy wires.? ?Towers are ok though!
Rules around this house are simple, keep it in your room, nothing that will dim the lights
in the town (or the house) and absolutely no guy wires.
Easy, no!? I have my esthetic preferences.? No wires dangling in the nice grassy back lawn.
Hence End Fed Half Waves, and a tower with all my VHF antennas which also
supports one end of the EF-quad.? Down back in the trees is the 160M dipole,
the low (maybe 10-12ft high) NVIS 75M wire, and the K6STI 10M loop hanging
from a very high oak limb.? Buried coax feeds for each.
A great antenna for most any use and especially for 20/15/10? is the?
the VE7CA? (QST september 2001) triband 2 element wire beam.? IT also
scales well for 40/20 as a dual band.? He also cooked a WARC version.
Any sort of pole bamboo or those light 6m or longer fiberglass "breem/crappi/panfish"
pole work well for a 20M dipole of light wire like 22 or 24 hookup wire (dipole or endfed).
One will do for an inverted V for 40M, just try to keep the ends high.
Why for is your EFHW crappy?? ?Least its a full size antenna. Everything smaller
will be poorer.? The best is the Wireman 534.. here is a description:
'Invisible' Toughcoat 'Silky' 26 AWG, 19 strand 40% copper-clad steel (OD 0.020")
with the same jacket as 531 (Nominal OD, 0.050" including 0.015" jacket, but super
small for that 'low profile' antenna or pocket 'weekender' long wire. Weighs less
than one pound per 1000 feet! Not recommended for 160 meters.Break strength 25 lbs
Its the best wire I've found for being very difficult to see at 30ft.? Its also less inclined
to snag or knot up.? No they didn't pay me but I've used enough!
Alas, people think those tuned loops are efficient... not.? They are compact though.
FYI the best height is at least one loop diameter or higher.? The big selling feature
is the bidirectional null as it really helps with noise.
My idea of a QRP antenna, Mosley TA33JR, the JR version will tolerate 300W
and that should be enough for a 5W radio.? I had one up for a few years until
its aging parts (it had to be at least 30 years old) fractured from corrosion and
work hardening from years of wiggling in the breeze.? I can say even at 32ft
it was a force!? ?ON4UNs famous antenna had a casualty so maybe that is
his new one.? ?HE really took rule oen and two to heart, higher and more metal,
lots of metal!
Allison
