if I may quote eHam..... Dale Hunt: The velocity of typical cheap TV twinlead is usually in the range of 0.8 to 0.85 (and can vary along a single role.) This is important if you are creating a quarter wave matching stub, but not for the overall length of a folded dipole antenna. Use the standard single- wire dipole formulas and it should work fine.
One variation I have seen is to connect a short jumper wire across the twinlead a short distance in from each end of the folded dipole. The idea is that, while the overall antenna length is not corrected for the velocity factor, each half of the antenna is effectively a quarter-wave stub which does need the correction. The shorting bar is put on each side about 85% of the way out from the center. This may improve the SWR somewhat in a 300 ohm system, but if you are using a tuner to match 50 ohms to 300 ohms, then you won't seem any noticable improvement. (The tuner setting will compensate for any slight mismatch due to the velocity factor.) I guess if one was to use a balan of some sort to have the end to the transmitter be 50 ohms, this could of of some importance mike w7dra ____________________________________________________________ Woman is 53 But Looks 25 Mom reveals 1 simple wrinkle trick that has angered doctors... http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/50c64a7b534c04a7b6da2st04vuc _______________________________________________ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com