Longwire direction?
Rich W.
your location, do you want to run an outdoor longwire antenna in a
north/south direction or an east/west direction? Or does it make any
difference?
Thanks,
Rich
starman
The direction doesn't make much difference providing the 'longwire' is
not too long. I assume you're talking about a random wire or inverted-L
type. If the length is less than about 100-ft, it won't be too
directional, except perhaps on the highest HF bands where it might be
more than one wavelength long. A true 'longwire' antenna is at least one
wavelength long at a particular frequency.
*****
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The Axelrods
"Rich W." wrote:
A long wire antenna is not very directional until it is say around 500 or so
feet. I use a "U" shaped wire to use as much space in my yard as I can.
More info at AMANDX site below under antennas
--
73 and Best of DX
Shawn Axelrod
Visit the AMANDX DX info site with info for the new or experienced listener:
http://www.angelfire.com/mb/amandx/index.html
REMEMBER ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN HEAR FOREVER
N8KDV
The Axelrods wrote:
> "Rich W." wrote:
>
> > If you are looking for better short-wave and ham reception to the east of
> > your location, do you want to run an outdoor longwire antenna in a
> > north/south direction or an east/west direction? Or does it make any
> > difference?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Rich
>
> A long wire antenna is not very directional until it is say around 500 or so
> feet. I use a "U" shaped wire to use as much space in my yard as I can.
> More info at AMANDX site below under antennas
I would strongly disagree, I have a 200' wire here that becomes very directional
on the higher frequencies.
elfa
antenna wire, whether 100' or 500', which direction do you run it to get the
optimum reception....pointing at the station or perpendicular to it? That's all
he's asking...sheesh.
elfa
In article <3E98B641...@nospam.iserv.net>, N8KDV says...
N8KDV
elfa wrote:
> So far...no one had answered the poor guys question. For a horizontal length of
> antenna wire, whether 100' or 500', which direction do you run it to get the
> optimum reception....pointing at the station or perpendicular to it? That's all
> he's asking...sheesh.
His question has been answered. It all depends upon the frequency.
Steve
Holland, MI
Drake R7, R8 and R8B
Burr
well for me.
Reason, I "think" that most of what I listen to comes over the north pole.
Also, if you get much over 100 ft you will get hit twice with the same
signal.
Burr
Grundig's
Sat800,YB400&FR200
Drake SW8
N35.3582
W117.4157
Burr
elfa wrote:
> So far...no one had answered the poor guys question. For a horizontal length of
> antenna wire, whether 100' or 500', which direction do you run it to get the
> optimum reception....pointing at the station or perpendicular to it? That's all
> he's asking...sheesh.
>
> elfa
Across, my opinion
grenner
feet as high up as you can get it and directionally face it longside to the
direction you want to hear you will be fine. If you want to hear stuff from
the east or west have the ends of your wire north and south as much as
possible.
Again listening is not that fussy. Hams will write about this wave and
that wave and if you want to mess with all that fine but the bottom line is
get a length of wire up as high as you can and as long as you can.
Direction is pretty secondary due to the nature of radio wave propagation.
Try different shapes, vertical, L shaped etc.
Play around with antennas if you can and try different directions and
lengths. That is a great part of the hobby.
I see Shawn Axelrod has a post in this thread, he really knows what he is
talking about.
Greg
"Rich W." <rdw...@megavision.com> wrote in message
news:KR%la.392$4u.9...@news.uswest.net...
Albert P. Belle Isle
wrote:
Rich,
The answer depends on the frequency of the desired signal, and the
length and mounting height of the wire in comparison to the wavelength
of signals at that frequency.
If the wire length is no more than a quarter of a wavelength and is
mounted at least a quarter wavelength above ground, its directional
sensitivity patern will be highest broadside to the wire; so run the
wire from north-to-south.
For wavelengths more than 4 times the wire length, the pattern will
have increasingly many (as frequency increases) peak sensitivity lobes
at various angles; often with none exactly broadside or in-line.
All of this variation in sensitivity versus angle-of-arrival will be
reduced as the height of the wire drops below 1/4 wavelength.
If the wire is many (10 or more) wavelengths long at the desired
frequency, especially if it's much less than 1/4 wavelength above
ground, it's maximum sensitivity will be along the wire and you should
run it from west to east.
As long-distance signals are refracted by the ionosphere and reflected
by the ground in multiple "skips," the polarization of the signal
will be unpredictably changed from that of the transmitting antenna.
Some will be horizontally polarized, and couple well into a horizontal
wire. Others will be verticallly polarized and couple very little into
a horizontal wire, but very well into a vertical whip. Most will be
in-between and couple somewhat into anything metallic.
A good compromise set-up is an inverted-L shape, with the lowest end
of the wire well away from sources of interference (like light
dimmers, computer monitors, etc. in your house) and fed with an
isolation transformer from coax with a good ground system.
Good listening,
Al
===============================================
Location: 42N39, 71W09
HF Antennas: 65ft TFD, 45ft T2FD, 28ft vertical, 65ft doublet
HF Receivers: Ten-Tec RX340, Ten-Tec RX320, Icom R71A
Decoders: Code300-32, Universal M-8000, PK-232MBX/DSP
===============================================
Albert P. Belle Isle
<bell...@CerberusSystems.com> wrote:
>
>For wavelengths more than 4 times the wire length, the pattern will
>
which should, obviously have been "for wavelengths _less_ than"
Also, unless the transmitting antenna is at the same latitude as you
are, it is not east (or west) of you. Many people in the US think
europe is east of them, when in fact, it is northeast.
starman
Rich,
I guess you can see from the replies so far that the answer to your
question depends mostly on how long your 'longwire' will be. What length
did you have in mind?
Here's a webpage (below) that shows the kind of inverted-L antenna I
use. It's a good performer and has the added benefit of reducing the
noise I was getting from home applicances such as computers and
televisions.
http://www.kc7nod.20m.com/improved_rw.htm
*****
RHF
Starman made a good recommendation this Inverted "L" Design lends
itself to a very good "Home Made" Low Noise Antenna.
* * * The 'Low Noise' SWL Antenna * * *
From the Association of North American Radio Clubs (ANARC) WebSite
and the Rec.Radio.ShortWave (NG) WebPage
Text Written by John Doty
* <http://www.anarc.org/naswa/badx/antennas/low-noise_antenna.html>
=Quote=
It doesn't take very much wire to pick up an adequate signal for
anything but the crudest shortwave receiver. The Difference between a
mediocre antenna system and a great antenna system isn't the antenna
itself: it's the way you feed signals from the antenna to the
receiver. The Real Trick with a shortwave receiving antenna system is
to keep your receiver from picking up noise from all the electrical
and electronic gadgets you and your neighbors have.
=Un-Quote=
sweet
Diagrams of Random Wire Antenna using a Balun and Coax FeedLine
* http://www.geocities.com/n2uhc/wire.html
* http://www.kc7nod.20m.com/improved_rw.htm
RHF = Here is my Double Nickel (Ten Cents Worth) on this Very Simple
and Basic Low Noise SWL Antenna:
1. 50-200 Feet of 14-16 AWG Insulated 19 Strand Copper Wire
2. Height of Support Points 15-45 Feet.
3. Bottom Feed Point for both Ground and Coax.
4. Matching Transformer (UnUn)
5. Bury the Coax if possible.
6. Two Antenna 'Forms' to Consider are:
** Inverted "L" Configuration requiring two support points. (50'-200')
http://uweb.superlink.net/bhtongue/12ILAnt/12ILAnt.html
** "Sloper" Configuration requires one support point. (70')
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx/antenna/wire/sloper.html
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx/antenna/wire/sloper_large.html
Consider the ICE 180 that is not only a Matching Transformer but a
Lightening Surpressor
<http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx/antenna/feed/ice180.html>
This Hard-Core-Dx.Com WebPage Text Written by John Doty
=Quote=
A Matching Transformer at the Base of the Antenna can smooth out the
fluctuations in antenna system efficiency with frequency, yielding an
Antenna System that Works well enough for good reception from LongWave
to the top of the ShortWave Range.
=Un-Quote=
Here is a Do-It-Yourself Matching Transformer
* <http://www.kc7nod.20m.com/new_page_1.htm>
mkia ~ RHF
.
.
= = = starman <sta...@tech.net> wrote in message
= = = news:<3E9A6189...@tech.net>...
Rich W.
peak of my roof or out to a tree. Any thoughts?
Thanks Again For All The Response!
Rich W.
"starman" <sta...@tech.net> wrote in message
news:3E9A6189...@tech.net...
starman
Rich,
Definitely go to the tree unless there is some obstacle in the way. The
farther you get the antenna from the house the better. It would also be
better if the single wire vertical downlead to the balun (see URL below)
is on the far (tree) end of the horizontal wire. Then you can run the
coax on the ground, back to the house and radio. This configuration
helps to keep the noise from home appliances from getting into the
vertical section of the inverted-L antenna system. It's also a good idea
not to start the horizontal section close to the house but instead use a
length (about 20-ft) of nylon rope between the house and the near
insulator on the wire. However in your case this would shorten the
horizontal section of your antenna too much, since you've only got about
45-ft. Have fun.
*****
"Rich W." wrote:
>
> I can string about 45 feet of antenna at 20 feet high. I can run along the
> peak of my roof or out to a tree. Any thoughts?
>
> Thanks Again For All The Response!
> Rich W.
> "starman" <sta...@tech.net> wrote in message
> news:3E9A6189...@tech.net...
> > 4/14/03
> >
> > Rich,
> >
> > I guess you can see from the replies so far that the answer to your
> > question depends mostly on how long your 'longwire' will be. What length
> > did you have in mind?
> >
> > Here's a webpage (below) that shows the kind of inverted-L antenna I
> > use. It's a good performer and has the added benefit of reducing the
> > noise I was getting from home applicances such as computers and
> > televisions.
> >
> > http://www.kc7nod.20m.com/improved_rw.htm
> > *****
Ross Archer
>
> I can string about 45 feet of antenna at 20 feet high. I can run along the
> peak of my roof or out to a tree. Any thoughts?
At only 6 meters high, and under 14 meters long, it might be
somewhat directional at higher frequencies (31 meters or 25
meters thereabouts and above), but I wouldn't expect a
strong effect. I'd select for whatever gives you the best
combination of altitude, length, and maximizing closest
distance from nearby houses (including yours). Unless you
can get it up there much higher, the orientation of the
antenna is going to be a lesser factor.
If you have a portable SW receiver, you might try strolling
around your yard, looking to see if there are any "quieter"
areas. If so, you definitely want to make the antenna run
through as much of its length in the quiet area as possible.
Everything's in the real world's a compromise in the end.
Still, you're lucky to have room for even 45 feet of
antenna. I predict you'll do great with it.
-- Ross