The 40m antenna is a quarter wave vertical with (currently) only two radials 90 degrees apart, following the twovisible fence lines.  The vertical is made from a PA speaker tripod(free), 10ft radio shack antenna mast(on hand, but $10) and a 20ft crappie fishing pole($18).  The element is ~16-18 gauge insulated solid copper wire.  It stands ~32ft, and fed with about 30ft of RG-58au.

The 6m antenna was made from an aluminum poster easel!  Pretty lucky find actually.   With the telescoping legs, I test for conductivity and found that both the legs (inside and outer) and in constant contact.  So I with through the tuning process and got done to a perfect 1:1 with 100w!  It needs a bit more work to look pretty, and I need to get it up higher, but it works for now.

So recently, after many days of thought.  I came up with the idea of installing a one support 20m dipole.  Using 10ft of pvc (I know, pvc and weather don’t mix.  This is just a prototype) and two 13ft telescoping fiberglass fishing poles, this is what I came up with.

It’s ~18ft up, and pointed ~30 degrees from North.  The elements are #18 stranded core speaker wire.  Each leg is 16.5ft.  Surprisingly, I didn’t have to do ANY trimming.  I originally had it plugged into my MFJ-901B tuner, then, out of curiosity, I wanted to see the SWR on the antenna itself…. 14.070mhz – 1.2:1 | 14.250 – 1.6:1.  Pretty damn good if I do say so.

By the way, it’s fed with ~30ft RG-58au and does have a 4:1 balun.

Early today I started learning how to use 4nec2.  I’m hoping I modeled this correctly.  If not, please, let me know what I’m doing wrong!