Steve:

I have the Carolina Windom 160 with the short end up at 40' and the long end up
at 10' from the ground. The vertical matching section (the vertical part with
the isolator at the bottom) hangs with the isolator about 5 feet from the
ground.

I would imagine this is the minimum installation height that works decently with
this antenna. It does get heard, and I can hear on all bands from 160 to 10m,
however, my Icom AT-500 automatic tuner won't tune it on 20 meters and I need to
use an external/additional manual tuner to cover 20m. Looking at the antenna
with an antenna analyzer, I find that most of the real dips don't really
correspond to the ham bands in my installation. I assume it would be somewhat
different if I bothered to try to tune the antenna or if I got it up higher.
Alas, I am getting ready to move, so am not putting any additional effort into
antennas for this QTH at this point... SWR is all over the map. On some bands,
it's almost reasonable, on others way over 10:1... Most of them must be
somewhat reasonable, though, or my AT-500 wouldn't auto tune them with decent
results.

I can say that it does seem to act somewhat like a top loaded vertical on some
bands (I've heard that the vertical matching section is a heavy radiator on this
antenna), and seems to have a bit of directionality (off the sides) on others.
Perhaps when I get to the new QTH I'll be able to support it higher at both ends
and give it a real test... I can tell you that it is definitely better on 40m
than tuning my multiband beam (20-10m) for 40m, even at short range...

The db ratings on their web site are either fiction or a wish. They indicate
"up to 10db", but I couldn't tell you where that might be, or how you'd have to
mount it. Perhaps if you got it up with both ends over a hundred feet high, it
would seem like it had 10db of gain at some frequency, but I can't imagine where
or why. As an off center fed, horizontal dipole it seems to work OK, but you
have to take the DB ratings with a grain of salt (and the best thing to do with
the salt is put it on the rim of your Margarita).

Good Luck
-_Rick AH7H

Steve wrote:

Am looking for anyone running this antenna or any Carolina Windom

I want to go out and get the Windom 80 but i see no were on there web site
that says the SWR ratio. I run a Auto tuner that you find in most newer
rigs.
Most of the tuners can only tune 3.1 or lower SWR.
So my question is to you that might have used a Windom. How are they on
Match to a Auto Tuner. I also have a Comet - Maldol Covers 8 bands HVU-8
3.5 / 7 / 14 / 21 / 28 / 52 / 144 / 446 / All with in a 9 ft antenna . For
Sale
$150 plus shipping. New it cost $299
You can mount it on a deck and put the radials on one side of the antenna
Makes for a good condo antenna Or mount it on a 10ft pole in the yard. Works
fine.

The antenna is only about a month old.

TNX for any input.

73

Steve