I've got a Kiwa Modified R75 connected to an Antenna Supermarket
Eavesdropper Dipole.
The antenna runs East to West.
I'm thinking of putting up another antenna running North to South.
What do you all suggest as a good compliment for my existing antenna?
I'd like something that will pull in the stations that now come in weak or
with interference.
How bout just a simple long wire?
Could you give me some tips on how to build one?
What coax should I use?
What antenna wire should I use?
How do I make the connection between the two?
How long should it be?
In the mean time, I'll do an internet search for antenna building tips.
I'm sure there's a ton of info out there.
Thanks all.
Lenny

Lenny wrote:

Thanks all.


Don't mention it. Heck, it was no trouble at all.





mike

Go get another Eavesdropper and mount it north/south. If you do not
have the room, mount it as an inverted V. Heck, mount them both as
inverted V's, one east/west and one north/south, than switch between
them as needed. Run coax from each to a switch at your radio.

RP

Lenny,

ABOUT - The Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna
! An Antenna to Di-Pole For ! {Rigging It Right!}
? Are Two Dipole Antennas better than One Inverted "V" Antenna ?

FIRST - A little something about the Antenna Supermarket
Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna "T" and "C" Models :
"T" for Twin Lead Feed-in-Line
"C" for Coax Cable Feed-in-Line
Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/0680.html
http://www.shortwavestore.com/sws/pr...3&cat=0&page=1

Note - At 43 Feet (13.1 Meters) long is relatively short
Dipole Antenna for All-Band Shortwave Coverage.
http://www.antennasupermarket.com/products.html

SECOND - Dipole Antennas are Directional Antennas : When
they are properly Rigged at the Correct Mounting Height.

THIRD - Introductory Dipole Antenna {Short} Reading List :
* Antenna Basics
http://www.electronics-tutorials.com...nna-basics.htm
* How High ? Should My Dipole Antenna Be ?
http://www.qsl.net/aa3rl/ant2.html
Dipole Antennas - The Effect of Height Above Ground
* Dipole Antenna
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipole_antenna
* The Hertzian Dipole Antenna
http://farside.ph.utexas.edu/teachin...es/node64.html
* The Dipole Antenna
http://www.radio-electronics.com/inf...ole/dipole.php
* Directional or Omni-Directional Antenna ? - by Joe Carr
http://www.dxing.com/tnotes/tnote01.pdf
* * * Good Reading - Joe Carr's Tech Notes
- - - http://www.dxing.com/tnotes.htm
* Dipole and Inverted "V" Antenna Design - by AManDX
http://www.angelfire.com/mb/amandx/dipole.html
* Thoughts on "Antenna Design" - by Bill Weinhardt [W9PPG]
http://our.tentativetimes.net/opine/antenna.html

FOURTH - RIGGING - The Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper
Dipole Antenna : How High Should It Be ?
As with many Multi-Band Dipole Antennas for proper function
at the lowest Frequency the Mounting Height is very important.
* So for the 75 Meter Shortwave Band a Quarter Wave Length
(1/4 WL) would be 59.2 Feet High. - This would be inpractical
for most Shortwave Listeners (SWL) to accomplish.
* Another Rule-of-Thumb for Shortwave Listeners (SWL) and
Dipole Antennas is "As High As" the Dipole is Half as Long :
So for a 43 Feet Long Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper
Dipole Antenna - This 'reasonable' Mounting Height would
then be about 21.5 Feet High.
* If... All-Else-Fails - - - Read-the-Book {Instructions} :
For the Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna
the manufacture Antenna Supermarket recommends a
Mounting Height of 25 Feet for this Multi-Band Dipole.
http://www.antennasupermarket.com/EAVESDROPPER.htm
http://www.antennasupermarket.com/EAVESDROPPERT.htm
"The Eavesdropper is designed to be suspended with the
Center of the Antenna about 25 Feet Above Ground."

FIFTH - CONSIDERING A SECOND ANTENNA :
As to your Question about a Second Antenna running
North-to-South as opposed to your current Antenna that
is running East-to-West.
* For a properly Rigged and Mounted Dipole where you wish
to Receive from All Directions - A Second {Identical} Antenna
is always a good idea.
* Why - A Second {Identical} Antenna ? - "IF" you are going
to be doing some "A" and "B" Directional type Switching from
one Antenna to another - Then having two of the same Antennas
will best let you know which is the better Receiving Antenna
for that Signal from that Direction at that time.
* The Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna
http://www.antennasupermarket.com/EAVESDROPPER.htm
"Of course, a second Eavesdropper can be erected favoring
the other quadrants, to provide maximum performance in
all directions. Switching between two Eavesdroppers at the
receiver will give you maximum flexibility for your location,
allowing you to optimize reception of a particular station.
These directional characteristics are not unique to the
Eavesdropper; they are shared by all half-wave dipoles."
* "IF" a Second {Identical} Antenna is used for oposing
Cardinal Headings N2S [N/S] and E2W [E/W] then you
have three options to Mounting the Second Antenna
alone with the First (Original) Antenna :
# 1 - "X" Lay-Out - Co-Located Centers which is usually the
easist and simplist second Rigging and Mounting to do
using what is already available {The Main Center Support}
- Provided that there is Available Space to Rig the Second
Antenna along the Perpendicular to the First Antenna ? ? ?
# 2 - "T" Lay-Out - At one end of the First Antenna and
Perpendicular to the First Antenna - Using one of the existing
End Supports of the First Antenna as the Center Support
of the Second Antenna.
- Note - Here is where having the 3-5 Feet of Rigging Rope
between the End of the First Antenna and the End Rigging
Support (Center of the First Antenna) is very Important.
- Again Provided that there is Available Space to Rig the
Second Antenna along the End that is Perpendicular to
the First Antenna ? ? ?
# 3 - Far Away from the First Antenna at least a Half Wave
Length removed from the First Antenna and preferably a
Full Wave Length for it. Now this Requires a Lot of Space.
At 75 Meters this is 118.5 Feet (1/2 WL) to 249.1 Feet (1 WL).
- Even using a Rule-of-Thumb what ever your Antenna is
Tip-to-Tip approximation this is 43 Feet Away with another
43 Feet for the Second Perpendicular Antenna which means
about 90 Feet of additional Space for the Second Antenna.
- Usually Option # 3 is not a viable choice for most Shortwave
Listeners (SWLs) living on the average (small) urban lot.

SIXTH - WHY NOT RIG IT AS AN INVERTED "V" ANTENNA ?
Vice a Flat Dipole Antenna consider Rigging the
Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna
as an Inverted "V" Antenna with the Center a little Higher
adn the Ends a little Lower. From the Center the Arms
of the Antenna Drop at about a 30 Degree Angle.
The Center would be about 30 to 32 Feet High with
the Ends of the Arms at about 19 to 21 Feet High.
Average Height of about 24 to 26 Feet above Ground.
This would reduce the Ground Foot Print {Space}
of the Antenna from 43 Feet down to about 37 Feet.
Note - The Dipole Antenna that is Rigged as an
Inverted "V" Antenna has more of an Omni-Directional
(All-Around-Everywhere) Reception Pattern then the
Dipole and could mean that you would only need one
Antenna instead of two Antennas.
{ Something To Think About - Consider }


hope this helps - iane ~ RHF

RHF wrote:

Lenny,

ABOUT - The Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna
! An Antenna to Di-Pole For ! {Rigging It Right!}
? Are Two Dipole Antennas better than One Inverted "V" Antenna ?

FIRST - A little something about the Antenna Supermarket
Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna "T" and "C" Models :
"T" for Twin Lead Feed-in-Line
"C" for Coax Cable Feed-in-Line
Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/0680.html
http://www.shortwavestore.com/sws/pr...3&cat=0&page=1

Note - At 43 Feet (13.1 Meters) long is relatively short
Dipole Antenna for All-Band Shortwave Coverage.
http://www.antennasupermarket.com/products.html

SECOND - Dipole Antennas are Directional Antennas : When
they are properly Rigged at the Correct Mounting Height.

THIRD - Introductory Dipole Antenna {Short} Reading List :
* Antenna Basics
http://www.electronics-tutorials.com...nna-basics.htm
* How High ? Should My Dipole Antenna Be ?
http://www.qsl.net/aa3rl/ant2.html
Dipole Antennas - The Effect of Height Above Ground
* Dipole Antenna
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipole_antenna
* The Hertzian Dipole Antenna
http://farside.ph.utexas.edu/teachin...es/node64.html
* The Dipole Antenna
http://www.radio-electronics.com/inf...ole/dipole.php
* Directional or Omni-Directional Antenna ? - by Joe Carr
http://www.dxing.com/tnotes/tnote01.pdf
* * * Good Reading - Joe Carr's Tech Notes
- - - http://www.dxing.com/tnotes.htm
* Dipole and Inverted "V" Antenna Design - by AManDX
http://www.angelfire.com/mb/amandx/dipole.html
* Thoughts on "Antenna Design" - by Bill Weinhardt [W9PPG]
http://our.tentativetimes.net/opine/antenna.html

FOURTH - RIGGING - The Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper
Dipole Antenna : How High Should It Be ?
As with many Multi-Band Dipole Antennas for proper function
at the lowest Frequency the Mounting Height is very important.
* So for the 75 Meter Shortwave Band a Quarter Wave Length
(1/4 WL) would be 59.2 Feet High. - This would be inpractical
for most Shortwave Listeners (SWL) to accomplish.
* Another Rule-of-Thumb for Shortwave Listeners (SWL) and
Dipole Antennas is "As High As" the Dipole is Half as Long :
So for a 43 Feet Long Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper
Dipole Antenna - This 'reasonable' Mounting Height would
then be about 21.5 Feet High.
* If... All-Else-Fails - - - Read-the-Book {Instructions} :
For the Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna
the manufacture Antenna Supermarket recommends a
Mounting Height of 25 Feet for this Multi-Band Dipole.
http://www.antennasupermarket.com/EAVESDROPPER.htm
http://www.antennasupermarket.com/EAVESDROPPERT.htm
"The Eavesdropper is designed to be suspended with the
Center of the Antenna about 25 Feet Above Ground."

FIFTH - CONSIDERING A SECOND ANTENNA :
As to your Question about a Second Antenna running
North-to-South as opposed to your current Antenna that
is running East-to-West.
* For a properly Rigged and Mounted Dipole where you wish
to Receive from All Directions - A Second {Identical} Antenna
is always a good idea.
* Why - A Second {Identical} Antenna ? - "IF" you are going
to be doing some "A" and "B" Directional type Switching from
one Antenna to another - Then having two of the same Antennas
will best let you know which is the better Receiving Antenna
for that Signal from that Direction at that time.
* The Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna
http://www.antennasupermarket.com/EAVESDROPPER.htm
"Of course, a second Eavesdropper can be erected favoring
the other quadrants, to provide maximum performance in
all directions. Switching between two Eavesdroppers at the
receiver will give you maximum flexibility for your location,
allowing you to optimize reception of a particular station.
These directional characteristics are not unique to the
Eavesdropper; they are shared by all half-wave dipoles."
* "IF" a Second {Identical} Antenna is used for oposing
Cardinal Headings N2S [N/S] and E2W [E/W] then you
have three options to Mounting the Second Antenna
alone with the First (Original) Antenna :
# 1 - "X" Lay-Out - Co-Located Centers which is usually the
easist and simplist second Rigging and Mounting to do
using what is already available {The Main Center Support}
- Provided that there is Available Space to Rig the Second
Antenna along the Perpendicular to the First Antenna ? ? ?
# 2 - "T" Lay-Out - At one end of the First Antenna and
Perpendicular to the First Antenna - Using one of the existing
End Supports of the First Antenna as the Center Support
of the Second Antenna.
- Note - Here is where having the 3-5 Feet of Rigging Rope
between the End of the First Antenna and the End Rigging
Support (Center of the First Antenna) is very Important.
- Again Provided that there is Available Space to Rig the
Second Antenna along the End that is Perpendicular to
the First Antenna ? ? ?
# 3 - Far Away from the First Antenna at least a Half Wave
Length removed from the First Antenna and preferably a
Full Wave Length for it. Now this Requires a Lot of Space.
At 75 Meters this is 118.5 Feet (1/2 WL) to 249.1 Feet (1 WL).
- Even using a Rule-of-Thumb what ever your Antenna is
Tip-to-Tip approximation this is 43 Feet Away with another
43 Feet for the Second Perpendicular Antenna which means
about 90 Feet of additional Space for the Second Antenna.
- Usually Option # 3 is not a viable choice for most Shortwave
Listeners (SWLs) living on the average (small) urban lot.

SIXTH - WHY NOT RIG IT AS AN INVERTED "V" ANTENNA ?
Vice a Flat Dipole Antenna consider Rigging the
Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper Dipole Antenna
as an Inverted "V" Antenna with the Center a little Higher
adn the Ends a little Lower. From the Center the Arms
of the Antenna Drop at about a 30 Degree Angle.
The Center would be about 30 to 32 Feet High with
the Ends of the Arms at about 19 to 21 Feet High.
Average Height of about 24 to 26 Feet above Ground.
This would reduce the Ground Foot Print {Space}
of the Antenna from 43 Feet down to about 37 Feet.
Note - The Dipole Antenna that is Rigged as an
Inverted "V" Antenna has more of an Omni-Directional
(All-Around-Everywhere) Reception Pattern then the
Dipole and could mean that you would only need one
Antenna instead of two Antennas.
{ Something To Think About - Consider }

If one puts up the Eavesdropper in an inverted vee configuration it will change
the resonant characteristics of the antenna.

dxAce
Michigan
USA