Nice to see you back Pete, I particularly missed your late absence.

Welcome back!!!!!

73
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
Cornwall
UK

I agree, Disc brake grease also called "copper grease" is cheap and works even under prolonged immersion in sea water!!!
73
de
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
cORNWALL
UK

Ten-Tec is THE BEE'S KNEES. I have 2 of there modern tranceivers and 2 rx's (amongst 12 other tranceivers and 16 rx's for comparison!!!) .
You want hand made quality and superb support (even here in the UK) Look no further.
Orion beats 7800 and 9000(initial published specs) hands down!! No fancy colour screens BUT fuction, performance, longivity(flashable firmware), reliability and service backup to make the big 3 weeeeep. Sorry this is my 2 cents(pennies over here) worth only.
73

Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
Cornwall
UK

Go to K0BG's (Allen Applegate) website. Clear and well illustrated
73
E Swanepoel 2E0ESW

My thanks to ALL who so actively and investigatively addressed the issue. The data, comments and references provided are most helpful.

Thank you
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
Cornwall
UK

PS  If I get such a question I shall post it and the answer.
73
E.S

K5DVW,Thanks for your answers
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
Cornwall
UK

AA4PB,
Sorry mate I'm as confused as you are (hi  hi)

73
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
Cornwall
UK

Thanks all so far,

Some light does emerge from it all!. Thanks for the references and I like comment "one (1) radial is a counterpoise" -- Wo'nt help me in the monkey puzzle though.
73
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
Cornwall
UK

Just to illustrate the dilemma:
Question in paper of 2001: What effects the efficiency of an antenna
a.radials
b.power
c.modulation
d.couterpoise

Question paper 2003:
What effects the radiation pattern of an antenna
a. radials
b. power
c. counterpoise
d. modulation

Hope this ilustrates my need to understand, albeit a question of "questionable purpose" but examiners do want to have fun and stop anybody scoring 100% !!!

Regards
73
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
Cornwall
UK

Dear Elmers,

I known the need, why and wherefore's of counterpoises and radials so this is more a definition, correct terminology and somewhat academic question as I am in the final preparations for my advanced (your extra)exams and the question came up in previous papers (multi choice aka "monkey puzzle" paper so you HAVE to choose the correct one). Elmer and google searches were no help at all as the 2 are used by some as synonyms.
Question; Am I correct, radials(ground or elevated) are the "other half" of the antenna (vertical or otherwise)if one works the antenna "against ground or groundplane" thus ground itself is the other half of the antenna, whereas a counterpoise is literally the other half of the antenna just draped on the floor or ground (or in the air) if one works the antenna "against it's other half literally and the ground forms NO PART of the antenna although , like with all antennas below a wavelenght above ground, the ground (according to it's conductivity, slope etc.etc. will always have some influence on the antenna. BUT with radials as above on it's efficiency and with counterpoise as above on it's radiation pattern(inclusive of angle of radiation).

Please is this correct? With the greatest of respect to all, please do not confuse the issue further, give me the correct theory or nomenclature not opnions or "as I see it", please.

Thank you in advance.
73
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
Cornwall
UK

Thanks Steve,
That helps a lot under the cicumstances
73
de
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW

Dear All,
Believe W9INN is SK. I need to contact the firm, If still in existance, re the purchase of above dipole. Yahoo and google gave me lots of links but none to a company or details of the above antenna to homebrew bar that it's 42' long and has excellent reviews on this site.
Please anybody, have you perhaps the URL needed OR the details pertaining to the construction of this dipole? All help gratefully accepted.
73
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW  / M3PSS
Bude
Cornwall
UK

Sorry , forgot to say I am attempting an "all Band" HF antenna 80 - 10M
73
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESw

Dear Elmers,
For now all I can do antenna wise is a vertical pole
A: 7m Steel scafold pole and 3m fibreglass whip ontop
OR
B: 10 - 12m "Bought-in" telescopic fibreglass pole
Both with an insulated flexweave wire to the top as a radiator, fed at ground level with SGC 239 coupler and several 10-12m radials evenly spaced.

This HAS to be mounted to a fence post that supports a  1 m high chainlink fence (thus the scacfold pole will touch the fence or if rapped for insulation not touch but be only the insulation thickness away from the fence and some coupling will take place hence the fact I though of using the insulated wire on the farside and not the pole at all as radiator. The wire will however couple with the fence AND either pole.
Question 1. How severe might it affect the antenna as I cannot guarantee the fence is not grounded, probably is as it runs away from my property some 500m in both directions?
2. Should I add the fence to the "ground radial system"?
3. Should I keep the "radiator wire" some foot or two away from the pole to say 1.5m high to clear the fence height?
4. Being a vertical I modelled it in enzec And high current is present in this antenna at and immediately above the feedpoint, has this any bearing on the coupling "magnitude"?  I have only the evaluation copy which allow 20 segments only so modeling the fence was, lets say, a challenge and it looks like it slaughters the radiation pattern, especially 20m and up, BUT how acurate is my model with only 15 segs used to model a chainlink fence(closely woven I might add).

I did look through verticals in elmers and googled it but all thats clear it will affect it and does not clarify my above questions, Sooo, please help??

Bottom line, am I wasting my time and have real danger of TVI (BAD BAD neighbours, they are going to move so in 3 months I can do something better) OR would it be better to use (buy) a Buddipole or suchlike (This will also be only 2m away from the same fence!)but above.

Thank you in advance, sorry about the lenght but I tried to give the picture for fear of misconceptions.
73
Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
Cornwall
UK

Dear Elmers,
I have registered with QRZ some 6 months ago but my callsign do not appear in their database. I must be thick because I cannot see where on the site to do this??!!.
Is this done automatically form the databases of the radio authorities of each country or does one have to do this oneself? Sorry if it is an obvious "should know".
73
de Etienne Swanepoel 2E0ESW
Bude
Cornwall
UK