Quote:
Originally Posted by GroundUrMast
One of the primary reasons to build an antenna yourself is to save a bit of money (there are plenty of other reasons to be sure). 12 gauge copper is an excellent material. It's easy to obtain, easy to work with, fairly economical and has moderate strength.
Without going into a long explanation, length and spacing of the phase lines is important. When using 12 ga. to build phasing lines, the spacing should be about 1 3/8 inches.
The length of the element whiskers is shorter than ideal in several online plans. You may want to try starting at 10"... it's easier to shorten than lengthen.
Sounds like you did well.
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Thanks GroundUrMast!
I wanted to build it myself because he is a very hard-working (albeit very poor) construction worker, & I knew he would appreciate me taking the time & effort to build it on my own (I'm kind of a "white collar guy").
I used a piece of 1x3 instead of the often mentioned 2x4, so I could keep the phase lines about 1.5 inches apart. I used the 12 gauge bare copper because like you said, it was easy.
If I build another with say 10 gauge insulated copper, would that make a difference in the efficiency of the antenna?
I figure (& I have only been learning about this for a week so please correct me if I'm wrong), but the thicker wire should not only act as a better conductor, but it would be insulated at the crossovers, to make sure they don't touch & cause a short in the antenna.
I am also playing with the idea of a reflector screen, but that is a post for another day