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Has anyone ever used a 102" whip for SWL?

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GLpease

Yes

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I'm guessing you did/have so how did it go?

The suspense is killing me!!!

__________________
Tie me to a stake. Entrap me in a wicker cage. Set a match to the pile of tobacco beneath me, and send me to the heavens in a fragrant cloud. Just let me have my pipe.
GLpease

Easiest way to find out is to get one and try it out. OR, you can cut about 9 feet of wire and use that. A 102" conductor is a 102" conductor. The fact that one is advertised as an antenna and the other one is just wire is immaterial.

Experiment!

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73 de K7KBN

I think you might be surprised at how well a 'short' antenna will work just for 'listening'. There's a lot of "if's/and's/but's" in it, but the Navy did some research a long time ago that showed that a resonant antenna just wasn't needed to receive adequately. If I remember correctly, most HF stuff could be heard 'adequately' (which means not the best, but adequately) with just a six foot antenna. Being a bit skeptical about that, I had to try it. They were right. Which says nothing about having to use such a thingy, and wanting to, or getting the absolute bestest results.
So, would I use a typical 102" whip for listening if I had the option of a resonant (or one close to it) antenna? Of course not! But you certainly can.
- 'Doc


(And no, that's not why the common 102" whip antenna is that length. )

I would use wire except that I have a pipe and roof mount that I can mount a
102" whip since stringing wire is a no can do for me. I asked because everywhere I read about the 102" says it's an excellent "quarter" wave which
makes me wonder about the wave match on SW. If I can find a used whip I'll give it a try,Thanks.

__________________
Tie me to a stake. Entrap me in a wicker cage. Set a match to the pile of tobacco beneath me, and send me to the heavens in a fragrant cloud. Just let me have my pipe.
GLpease

Don't worry about the "wave match" if all you're doing is receiving. Once again: Experiment!

__________________
If you're like everybody else,
you're about average.
73 de K7KBN

It's a 1/4 wave on 11 meters. But that doesn't matter if you're just listening.

Like Mo said, it's a 1/4 wave antenna on 10/11 meters. Everywhere else it is 102" end fed random "wire" antenna.

It will work "good" as a SWL antenna. Not the best, not the worst. On 40 meters, instead of a station putting a 20 S-meter reading on you if you had a 40 meter dipole, they might put and 8 or 10 S reading on you. But that's still a decent signal and hearing a station is hearing a station.

The further you go down in frequency, the less and less effective it will become.

40 meters (7 mhz) and up....it should work pretty well.

Good luck

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Supplying All Your Wire and Weasel Needs Since 1869 * All Orders Come With A Free Pack Of Vazomyne For Sustained Performance

I think I understand now. I'll put up a 102" as soon as I find one cheap enough (mount and all).

That said, Thanks to all who replied I do appreciate it.

__________________
Tie me to a stake. Entrap me in a wicker cage. Set a match to the pile of tobacco beneath me, and send me to the heavens in a fragrant cloud. Just let me have my pipe.
GLpease