David wrote: I'm also fairly sure that the amount of wire to wind on the helix is significantly different from the amount that would be used in a straight line. My gut feeling is that it should be less, but I haven't researched that, either,
--------------------- I have experimented with continuously-loaded antennas (those with the radiating element a long space-wound coil) and found Doug DeMaw's estimates quite close: a half wavelength of wire space wound with spaces equal to the wire diameter on a small diameter form will resonate against ground like a 1/4 wave linear Marconi antenna. For example, I space-wound 135 feet of #12 wire on a 2X2 inch wooden form. The antenna was about 12 feet long. Working against ground, it was self-resonate in the 80 meter band. So it takes roughly twice the amount of wire that would be needed if it was stretched out in a straight line. Ron AC7AC _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com