Linked Dipole Designer

Dear all

I have designed an Excel spreadsheet to help you to design your own linked dipoles.

http://www.sotabeams.co.uk/content/Linked%20dipole%20Designer.xlsx

I hope that it helps someone!

73 Richard G3CWI

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Richard,

Thanks very much for that. My portable linked dipole is starting to show signs of wear and when the grass eventually dries up it is due to be refurbished. I think your spreadsheet will speed up the process.

73,
Rod

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Great! If you are designing for the lower bands (especially 80m) you will find that the 80m wire length is calculated a bit long. That is because of the inevitable excess end-capacity you get when long antenna wires are supported from shortish poles. It’s rather hard to predict and account for accurately.

Thanks Richard.

I will be trying it out in the very near future.

73 Allan GW4VPX

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It appears to be password protected when I try to open it on my kindle. May be a browser conflict if other people can open it. Will try on the main pc later on.

No problem opening and using it in Open Office on my PC.

Thanks again, Richard.

73, Rod

Hi Steve

I opened it with Microsoft Excel on my PC.

73

Allan GW4VPX

password = sota (I found)

No password is needed to use the software. The cells that are password protected are the ones that you don’t need to change. Stick with changing the ones in green and you will be fine.

No idea where the SOTA password came from as that’s nothing that I put in.

Tnx a lot Richard! It helps me exactly when I was thinking to make a linked dipole for 12/17/20/40 meter bands. Great idea!

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I think it depends on which version of Excel you are using. I’m using a version included with MS Office 2003 which uses a converter module to convert the file format, including the hidden fields. MS like to break backwards compatibility from time to time. Keeps the money rolling in.

And it appears that while the password prompt box pops up, it doesn’t matter what you type into it, just pressing enter will do.

Rick

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Just started to use the spreadsheet - very good.

One thing that could be implemented is wire thickness to give a better idea of the effects on the velocity factor, I used this when calculating the wire lengths for my cobweb antenna more accurately. I suppose most people just add slightly more wire to the elements and then cut down.

Just a thought.

Jonathan.

Another useful addition would be to let the user specify the angle of the wires when used in the Inverted ‘V’ configuration to allow it to calculate the required length correction.

See for example:

http://www.hamuniverse.com/dipivcal.html

Colin G8TMV