[Antennas] Ladder Line

2003年10月20日 10:28:12 -0600

I think, if your telephone rings when you transmit, you've got a lot more
troubles than the ladder-line is getting the credit, or blame, for. Me
thinks you had better get yourself a good SWR meter and, most of all,
learn how to use it! I'll bet you've got a lot of stray "RF" floating
around in the shack. Try holding up a florescent tube as you transmit,
if it lights up without putting it into a fixture, you've got troubles. 
All that stray "RF" is getting into your telephone and your neighbors TV,
not out into the atmosphere where it will make those DX contacts. The
"burning at your mike" is not because of the ladder-line. The same can
happen while using coax. The problem is caused by the mismatch between
your transmitter and the antenna/feed line combination. Eliminate the
mismatch and the burning will go away. Try a Tuner! Don't think that
the tuner built into a modern Xceiver will tune a ladder-line. They were
built exclusively for 50 ohm coax..
I have personally used both coax and ladder-line for antenna feed lines
in the past and both have afforded good contacts and QSO's. After all,
that is what we put up antennas for, isn't it? 
I have found that simple dipoles cut to the middle of a band, or a
specific freq., works well enough fed with coax, especially for a fast
and easy to erect antenna on field days. I have used, and still use a
folded dipole cut for 80 Mtrs., built of Ladder-line and fed with
Ladder-line, into the shack to a good antenna tuner that was designed to
work with balanced line. I can tune, and operate, on any band from 80
Mtrs. up to and including 2 Mtrs.. I used to use a folded dipole cut for
180 Mtrs. but I do not have the necessary real estate at the present QTH.
 It would allow operation on all bands, 160 through 2.
If you use a tuner built to work with balanced line, it will have the
dreaded balun already built in for you.
Don't be afraid to try something new to you, even though it's been
around a lot longer than coax. You might have fun, even learn something,
Hi! Hi! Remember it's still just a hobby, and "Hamming it up" is
supposed to be fun!
Just my $.02 worth!
73 de Jerry, K�EJF
 ----- Original Message ----- 
 >Hey
> My 2 centavos....
> I don't like ladder line because.............
> 1- It radiates into my phone, it causes it to ring when i talk, and
..into
> my earphones, and my mike..causes an uncomfortable burning and stinging
> sensation.. probalso the neighbors.
> 2- It doesn't come in a high impedance value to do (fix) what I have
> gotten myself into..
> 3- It is part of my antenna and disguises any or most errors I have
made,
> in calculations or in building.
> 4- It saves me from buying 5ドル.00 in parts from the antenna stores, Home
> Depot, or Lowes in pvc tubing, and # 16 copper wire and stainless
steel
> hardware.
> 5- It saves me 30 min of labor and time of building an air core balun,
known
> as a balum in Arkensas and on 40 m. and saves me 50' of rg58u and a
couple
> connectors, to do the job right. I can operate 30 min longer on the
air.
>> I do like laddr line because......
> 1- It is part of my antenna and makes up for mistakes and mis
calculations
> , I usually make.
> 2- a long piece, say 150' can load up a coat hanger at the end and give
me a
> 1:1 swr at the rig end.
> 3- It makes my antenna designs match.. on all bands.
> 4- I dont have to build one of those confusing balun things s I can run
coax
> into the house and to my rig.
> 5- I dont have to worry if I have a un balanced or balanced line or
antenna
> or have to ask anyone.
> 6- If I cant buy it, I can make my own, and it is always better than
> anything you cn buy.
> KZ5V aka Gene Mason