SSB backstay aerial

[Guest]

How can I find out what positions the insulators should be in to use a 15m backstay as the aerial for SSB?
Maybe there is a recent magazine article?

 

[Stingo]

send me a PM with your address and I'll send you a photocopy of the installation guide that I have.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.stingo.co.uk>http://www.stingo.co.uk</A> - now showing at a computer near you

 

[Bergman]

Bottom one high enough so that no-one touches it. Top one about 3ft from top, maybe a bit more if angle of backstay is steep.

Length is not critical, basically longer the better, ATU will match it for whatever frequency you are transmitting on.

 

[HaraldS]

You should avoid length that are multiples of Lambda/2 (half wave length) for your popular frequencies. These lengths are hard to tune. 15m is a good length and works for most of the important bands. Also keep the top isolator well from the mast and do not use a wire topping lift.

My isolated backstay is about 20m and seems to work ok, but most of the time I get better results with a 5.6m whip.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.taniwani.de>http://www.taniwani.de</A>

 

[Guest]

dont forget that the bit of wire running from your atu to the aerial will in fact be part of the aerial and will be radiating. so get the atu as near the botton of the backstay as poss, and as far away from anything sensitive to rf as poss. and include that length of wire in your calc of overall length.
in fact, you will most probably find yourself adjusting the resonant frequency of the antenna by chopping bits off this feed wire anyway. so start a bit long and then shorten to match.