This weekend i decided to make a prototype wire vertical. Instead of building it for the kayak, I thought I'd start with one I can post on the beach.
My fishing pole is about 8m long, so I cut 4 radials and an element for a quarter-wave vertical on 14.060mhz. The calculator said this should be radials and verticals all 5.073m. I cut them accurately and soldered them onto a coax connector.
I took everything out to the beach with an MFJ-269 analyser. Results were a bit suprising:
14.060mhz SWR=4.0 Rs=90 and Xs=87
where is SWR=1.0?
12.817mhz SWR=1.0 Rs=49 and Xs=0
oops, not what I had hoped for.
Here is a photo of my setup on the beach. The radials are spread out (although not taut straight) and one is half in the ocean.
http://flickr.com/photos/karavshin/201141879/I came home and tried the antenna out in my yard. I got different, but unwanted, results there too:
14.060 had a 7.7SWR, Rs=132 and Zs=177
Resonance was at 11.892mhz SWR=1.0 Rs=48 and Xs=2
So my question is how to interpret this data into a conclusion on what to do to make it work best at 14.060.
My first reaction was the vertical element is too short. it should be 14.060 * 5.073 / 12.817 m long to resonate at 14.060. IE: should make the element 17inches (0.448m) longer.
But maybe that's naive. Maybe there is more to interpret from the results? And what about the radials...does this mean they should also be extended? by the same amount? etc.etc.
ideas?