Windom In The Grass
I have
elsewhere described a Windom antenna. While it is usually hung
from a pole or in a tree, it works when used in a "grasswire"
mode. Just lay it on the ground. Dimensions are repeated in Figure 7 for ready reference.
When I travel, I sometimes
take one of these made of #22 insulated hookup wire. Since I often
set up beside motel parking lots, and often after a day's work,
sometimes after dark, I've color-coded the wires. The longer is
black, and the shorter, red. This helps me determine which way
to point the Windom. Remember, though,
that it fires off the long end. Of course, it fires the other
way, too, but with a bit less gain.
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I hope this has given
you a good case of curiosity. Go out and try one of those ground
- mounted wires. They're easy to build. Even the balun
is easy to build.
And
they're fun to play with.
A last word to put
off discouragement: the Grasswire,
and Beverages in general, are lossy compared to a good Dipole at a half-wave height. They
are disappointing for QRP operation. Run a bit of power with these
antennas. 100-W RF or more should do the trick.
©1997
Michael J. Toia
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