OPINION:INVERTED "L",OR END FED ZEPP

[ve6pg]

HI FROM TIM..AFTER LAST WEEK'S HIGH WINDS,I HAVE TO DO SOME REPAIRS TO MY ANTENNA SUPPORT. AS IT IS NOW,THERE IS AN INVERTED "L",THAT GOES UP 40FT,DOWN THE YARD TO A 35FT TOWER. TOTAL LENGTH IS APPROX.190FT. THIS END FED WIRE WILL NOT TUNE ON 160,BUT WERKS GREAT EVERY WHERE ELSE.. OK,I'M GONNA BE UP THE TOWER,AND WAS THINKING ABOUT CHANGING THE LONGWIRE"L",TO A END-FED ZEPP. THE FLAT-TOP WOULD BE ABOUT 150-160FT. SO,WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS ON A END-FED ZEPP,(H/BREW OPEN WIRE LINE), VS THE END FED LONGWIRE INVERTED "L"..?...SK..

[K1JJ]

Tim,

I like the end fed Zepp better, but read on.

Reasons being is it is horizontal and little dependence on Earth ground conditions...losses.   

The Zepp has a higher vertical take off angle, and Amers generally like to talk closer in on 160 rather than work foreign DX. Though, on 160M, SOME low angle is desirable considering the distances and the fact that 160M favors vertical polarization by as much as 10db for DX, unlike the rest of the bands.

If you were here in the Northeast of the US, I wud vote Zepp hands down.
But, being located where you are, an inverted L may make sense for you, having a mix of vert and horiz..  If you do it, just make sure you do a decent radial ground system to cover IR losses.   BTW, for the vertical component of the L, real low angle attenuation will depend entirely upon how your soil is many thousands of feet way with the L.

73,
Tom, K1JJ

HI FROM TIM..AFTER LAST WEEK'S HIGH WINDS,I HAVE TO DO SOME REPAIRS TO MY ANTENNA SUPPORT. AS IT IS NOW,THERE IS AN INVERTED "L",THAT GOES UP 40FT,DOWN THE YARD TO A 35FT TOWER. TOTAL LENGTH IS APPROX.190FT. THIS END FED WIRE WILL NOT TUNE ON 160,BUT WERKS GREAT EVERY WHERE ELSE.. OK,I'M GONNA BE UP THE TOWER,AND WAS THINKING ABOUT CHANGING THE LONGWIRE"L",TO A END-FED ZEPP. THE FLAT-TOP WOULD BE ABOUT 150-160FT. SO,WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS ON A END-FED ZEPP,(H/BREW OPEN WIRE LINE), VS THE END FED LONGWIRE INVERTED "L"..?...SK..

[ve6pg]

OK..TNX TOM,THIS WAS WHAT I WAS THINKING AS WELL..I'M NOT INTO THE DX THING ANYMORE,AND BEING I'M IN TORONTO,ALOT OF GUYS ARE JUST ACROSS LAKE ONTARIO,AND I THINK THE 'ZEPP IS THE WAY TO GO. I'VE BEEN THINKING THIS FER A LONG TIME.,AND NOW I HAVE TO DO WERK ON THE ANTENNA,SO THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME. MY GROUND SYSTEM IS EXTENSIVE,AS I'VE BEEN ADDING RADIALS SINCE GOD WAS A LITTLE GIRL..MOST GUYS I HEAR ON 160 ARE ANYTHING FROM 50 TO 400 MILES FROM ME. 400 MILES IS A GOOD SWATH FROM HERE,AND IS IN RANGE OF ALOT OF THE GUYS ON AM ON 160. ...I GUESS I BETTER GET MOVING ON THE H/BREW OPEN WIRE FEEDERS....TIM..SK..

[W2JBL]

    i have had many good end fed Zepp antennas over the years, some as short as
50 feet on 75 meters and all have worked well. it's a balanced fed antenna and radials are not needed if it's longer than a quarter wavelength. works WAY better than an inverted L when looking at it from an RFI/RF in the shack standpoint. never quite understood how it works but if you put a pair of RF ammeters in the line one on each side of the open wire line they read nearly the same current. given a choice however if there is any way you can center feed that 190 feet of wire with some manner of balanced line it will work better in most installations. either way it should load up fine  on  160 and up.

[ka0pad]

I ran across a suggestion that you build the zep, then short the feedline together at the transmitter for an inverted-L if that's desired. Have both at the same time.

Larry

[W2JBL]

     shorting the feedline and working the antenna unbalanced against ground is a common way to use a balanced line fed  80 meter dipole on 160 and i have seen this work pretty well . never tried it with an end fed zepp though. in that situation i don't think it would make much difference other than making the feedline radiate too, which might be desirable if the radiator is less than 1/4 wave long on 160. this assumes the feedline is out in the open where it can do something other than radiating back into your house, phones etc.   

[WA1GFZ]

I found the end fed zepp works great and has the added feature of giving you a nice tingle if your lip gets too close to the mic.

[W2JBL]

line the inside of your hat with aluminum foil and that tingle from the mic will go away.
as an added bonus you won't hear those voices in your head anymore...  seriously though Frank's right. there's still some unbalance and RF in the shack, with the endfed Zepp, but much less than with an end fed single wire.