Hi folks. I used a CobWebb by G3TPW for a few years. It's a nice and compact antenna and it withstood the Iceland climate very well. I had it on a 16 ft. 2.5" dia aluminium tube at the top of my house. Total height above ground 32 ft.
The performance was always better than a full size 1/4 wave ground mounted vertical and noise floor on RX considerably lower. The CobWebb has a fairly narrow bandwith as it is a dipole bent in a square. The dipole is T matched with a current balun at the feedpoint. It's almost omni directional. I currently have a 2 el. SteppIR but I really liked the CobWebb. It's quite an efficient antenna. 73, Yngvi TF3Y http://www.tf3y.net On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 10:54 AM, <rck...@comcast.net> wrote: > > > Hello Bill, > > > > I have no intent to denigrate the design and functionality of the "Cobweb" > style antenna but......... > > > > Several years ago I was inclined to acquire the G3TPW commercial version > of the "CobWebb" antenna, I found the website ( www.g3tpw.co.u ) and sent > an email asking how to order, method of payment & shipping charges, etc. > Got no response......I thought maybe there was some problem with the 1st > email attempt so I sent another.....still no response. So I sent an inquiry > via regular mail, including a self addressed (with postage) return > envelope......no reply whatsoever....... > > > > So I can't comment on how well the G3TPW version functions......but in > consideration of my above described experience, maybe you should limit > your effort to a homebrew version. > > > > Also, later I had good results with the homebrew version of the Buddipole, > built from free instructions on W3FF's homepage ( > https://sites.google.com/site/w3ffhomepage/ ). But back then I was doing > more portable ops and since the commercial version is more sturdy I decided > to get one......saw one being offered on ebay so I bid and won the auction. > Eventually I lost one small bit and needed a replacement part so I > contacted W3FF and got very fast response....even though I hadn't purchased > direct from them. > > > > So I've decided customer service is just as important as functionality > when deciding which products to acquire. Just my opinion............... > > > > Rich K2CPE > > K2 #1102 > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Bill Blomgren" <billb...@nc.rr.com> > To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2013 10:27:22 PM > Subject: [Elecraft] cobweb antenna > > > I'm still in the "pre-purchase" stage.. but I'm sort of thinking that the > K3 > is where I'm going to end up.. Possibly with the preamp...and then there is > the big problem: what to make it to the air with..... > > The idea of starting off with the buddipole system is out there - and very > possible... > > I've also been reading up on the plusses and minuses of many of the > alternatives that may be possible in an apartment life... > > One is the magnetic loop - which is a tad pricey with the vac. variable -- > > lots of copper, and the need to tune the thing every time you change > frequency - and not just antenna tuner stuff - as in changing the cap on > the > antenna itself. It is a very high q (and thus voltage and current) > critter...Rube Golberg figured out how to do that.. motors with long screw > drives into a sealed box with the cap inside..with very high voltages > there... and thus requiring altitude for safety.. > > I came across a nifty square thing called a cobweb, which is more or less > semi-flat over 4-5 bands... is very light..and can be made of pvc pipe or > possibly fiber glass because it just has 5 wires in a big square.. One > antenna to cover 20 17 15, 12 and 10 meters sounds interesting.. One of the > designs even works on 6, but has higher losses... (That may be the baluns > they use for a 4-1 impedance match and to go unbalanced... > > Has anyone tried one of these critters, and if so, is the Elecraft happy > with it? > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
