"Desmoface" ... anyone think a verticle dipole
would work. ..a vertical dipole for 10...
Steve kb8viv

How about a J-Pole? ..one using a mast with the 1/4 wave
parallel section added 1/2 wave below the top. Real easy. No radials.
John Smith - KD5YI

As others have already noted, vertical dipoles do work
whether center-fed or end-fed (a.k.a. J-pole) without radials.

As already noted, hang it as high as you can manage
- just the normal advice for any antenna except N.V.I.S.

If you want to pursue the J-pole route,
go to CQ magazine's web site

http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/

and download George VE3ERP Murphy's freeware HAMCALC
ham radio software package. (lower left corner)
(Download it just for general principles.)
Program about-23 of 250+ programs
is Murph's version of my version of Gary N3GO O'Neill's
J-pole program from his Communication
Quarterly article on end-fed half-wave antennas.
Go to Steve AA5TB Yate's website

http://www.qsl.net/aa5tb/

under "Antennas" for more info and a link
to Gary's article on how J-poles
and Zepps really work versus the popular view.

The program gives starting lengths.
For 28.5 MHz:
Using 300 ohm twinlead:

halfwave radiator wire = 196.7 inches
series matching 300 ohm section = 78.6 inches
to the 50 ohm tap point
shorted shunt stub 300 ohm section = 6.6 inches

Total length is about 23.5 feet if you hang it all up
vertically. The not-quite-quarter-wave matching section
can be horizontal with the halfwave radiator vertical
if you need/want to run it that way.

Gary's article, the program or a Smith chart show
why the commonly used 450 ohm ladder line is not
the as good a choice for matching as 300 ohm.

Have fun. Measure and cut metal and plastic,
hang it up, apply and withdraw RF energy.
Don't just do computer calculations
(as I do most of the time (sigh)).

Cheers, 73,

Ron McConnell



N 40º 46' 57.9" W 74º 41' 21.9"
FN20ps77GU46 [FN20ps77GV75]

http://home.earthlink.net/~rcmcc