Simple Antennas for Amateur Radio Operators--a continuing series
THE FEEDING AND CARE OF THE INVERTED "V" ANTENNA In my last post, I described a simple inverted vee that could be built and erected by one person at a modest cost. In my case, I had enough wire and and pvc mast sections to build this 40-10 meter antenna without going to the nearest hardware store. Fortunately, I also had a hundred or so feet of 450-ohm twinlead, a spare 4:1 balun, and a good ATU (Drake MN-4) to finish the job. With each leg of the "v" 33-feet long, you have an antenna that can work from 40 to 10 meters. If you want to explore 80 meters, make both legs of the "v" 65-feet long. These measurements are approximate--you may have to trim each leg a few inches to make a better match. If you don't have twin lead, you can also use approximately 40 to 50 feet of coax to feed the antenna. Of course, the coax will feel happiest on one band and its third harmonic. That characteristic makes it possible to use a 40-meter inverted "v&