KT5X Fred has it right! I also use the inverted-L, usually 20M of wire, about 65 feet, #24 teflon stranded silver-plated, just right, even in pretty strong wind. #26 is too light for Colorado summits.
Usually I use whatever is available to support the pole. On high, bare summits, I usually have two small dacron cords attached to the pole about 5 feet above the ground. These cords need to be 15-20 feet long, and about 2mm diameter. The bottom of the pole must be constrained by rocks, or a hole, so it won’t move. All you need to attach small cords is a thick rubber band wrapped a few turns around your pole. Tie the cords above the rubber band. These cords go to rocks. They must be adjusted - too tight, and the pole may collapse - too loose,and the pole moves around. The antenna itself is the third guy, but in high winds, I use a third cord also. Erecting the pole is easier, and stability is better, if the antenna is lined up with the wind, or into the wind. Erecting a pole and wire takes practice, but you learn tricks as you go.
Using rocks piled around the base of the pole works only if:
- There is little wind
- The pole can bear the severe stress from the leverage
- Or you use a protective cylinder of thick PVC - or whatever - around the base of your pole
If you pile rocks around a lightweight pole to support it, you will ruin it, as soon as a big gust of wind hits it.
The far end of the wire is tied with another dacron cord to whatever is available. If there are trees, sometimes I use a rock and cord to get the far end up over a branch. This is an art. On bare summits, the end of the wire is sometimes near ground, but there is little difference in performance. You can pile up a few rocks to raise it, if you have time. It’s OK to run parts of the wire over rocks - or trees - in order to get it higher.
I use a 6M carbon-fiber pole that weighs about 7 ounces. The tension on the wire is enough to curve the upper part of the flexible pole. Most of wire hangs a few feet out from the pole. I sit near the bottom. I use about 0.8M - only about 2-1/2 feet of RG-303 teflon coax between the KX2 and the tuner. Both sit on the ground next to me. We are the counterpoise.
I use a homebrew tuner, several different kinds. Key points:
- True tuned matching circuits with several variable elements
- Almost perfect matches from 60M band through 10M band
- Radio sees 50 ohms
- Usually no counterpoise, but it’s OK to use one, especially for lower frequencies or non-resonant wires. Start with 4 or 5 meters. The counterpoise is part of the radiating antenna. Raise it if you can.
- Reactive antennas can be tuned easily with tuners designed for this
- No links or traps needed with wide-range tuners.
If you use any kind of coax, you will have significant loss on some bands:
- If the coax is more than 1 or 2 meters
- If the coax is not terminated in 50 ohms
- If the antenna is not resonant and not matched on some bands
Really, coax is not your friend in the mountains. It weighs a lot, it adds loss, and it restricts you to a low impedance with a limited frequency range.
Do not run coax up the pole. Use only a short piece to your tuner or matching circuit. Coax going up the pole works against everything you’re trying to accomplish.
Keep everything as simple and light as possible.
Make sure you can get the pole down fast if a storm rolls in. With the arrangement I described above, the entire antenna comes down if I lift and tilt the pole with one hand.
73
George/Carey
KX0R
