Wanted to ask about hanging my temp. wire dipole antenna

[JW20VT]

I have a cheapo wire dipole I purchased long ago that I stashed away and found when I dug my radios out again to fix . Until I get a few more bucks and have a more permintent base antenna setup I wanted to use either the wire or mag-mount on my A/C , i know mag-mount meant for car and all Just wanted something temp for a few weeks to make sure the radios are good before I mod and get used to being back on the air . That being said I'm guessing the Wire dipole might work out better for a few weeks or however long I need to get my permanent antenna picked and setup .

Its very similar to this one on amazon - Amazon.com: DIPOLE Indoor Base Antenna 18 Ft for CB Radios: Automotive doesn't have the wingnuts to change wire though . My "shack" is bedroom , top floor of my house only thing above me is the attic which I can't get into . Should I try to hang this against a wall like a inverted V ? or just run it along the trim / ceiling ? When I hung this last I was young and really had less knowledge about it then I do now . Used to just put the center balun in the air and have the wires hanging down . said it don't work and I packed it away went back to my mag mount smart me huh

Anyways , thanks for any help and for reading

Jeremy

 

[W5LZ]

Looks like a typical dipole. I think the length ought to be closer to something like 17 feet, but you'll find out when you tune it. You can hang it from the wall as you suggested, or in almost any 'shape'. If you run one leg along the wall/floor and the other leg up one corner, it'll be vertically polarized instead of horizontally polarized. Just another option.
- 'Doc

 

[JW20VT]

Thanks for the reply man
I was curious as to the length myself , when I purchased it didn't really know much and kinda just put it up . the man at the shop wasn't full of any info just said yup it works here ... being young and dumb i bit and purchased . after reading more on wire dipoles I laugh now knowing hat tuning antenna and such is .
I can just fold back wire to make it 17 instead of cutting the wires right ? or does the wire have to be removed from the equation completely ?

 

[JW20VT]

Wanted to take a pic and post , This is how I ended up with hanging it indoors. Any suggestions on length or hanging different PLEASE let me know . love any help I can get , getting back into this hobby

( SWR/Power meter is on its way , purchased online . Can't get readings because I use the SWR Cal for AM power/VR-10 repair )

 

[W5LZ]

Yes, folding the wire back onto it's self is just like cutting it off and works just fine for tuning a dipole. It's also nice 'cuz you can reverse an adjustment without soldering on more wire.
The perspective in that picture isn't easy for me to make out, so I can certainly be wrong about what I'm seeing. The angle between the 'legs' of a dipole can be used for a sort of 'fine' adjustment of SWR. You adjust length for lowest SWR, then start varying that "angle of the dangle" for a 'finer' adjustment of SWR. That works fine until the angle between those 'legs' gets close to 90 degrees. If it ever get's to 90 degrees, you've gone too far. Something on the order of 120 degrees is probably about 'average', or as close as you'll get, sort of. That can vary a lot depending on the antenna's environment.
Having some way of tuning an antenna is a good idea, that tuning is almost always required. The chances of it not being a necessity are very slim to none, actually.
And naturally, any antenna inside will not work as well as that same antenna outside. Lots of 'wiggle' in that, but always true to some extent, nothing really 'new' there. In the end, if it works 'good enough', then it's fine.
- 'Doc

 

[Chainsawgang]

HMMMM Interesting I use a couple of WIRE dipoles too ! I have one just like yours JW20VT and a radiowavz bazooka dipole . I use the radiowavz outside strung up in the trees . How is the one that you have working for you ?? The small one that i have is in my basement and so far bleeds over pretty badly on everyone's PC ! I wonder if you receive pretty well with it ??

Doc, what is the advantage to have it horizontal ?? I am a dummy in this respect and truthfully I don't understand the diff between the two ( other than the obvious visual difference !)

 

[Beetle]

HMMMM Interesting I use a couple of WIRE dipoles too ! I have one just like yours JW20VT and a radiowavz bazooka dipole . I use the radiowavz outside strung up in the trees . How is the one that you have working for you ?? The small one that i have is in my basement and so far bleeds over pretty badly on everyone's PC ! I wonder if you receive pretty well with it ??

Doc, what is the advantage to have it horizontal ?? I am a dummy in this respect and truthfully I don't understand the diff between the two ( other than the obvious visual difference !)

Chainsaw - if the antenna is in the basement, don't blame it for "bleeding". The location in the basement puts the antenna very close to things in the house that are just plain susceptible to RF. Antennas, particularly transmitting antennas, belong outdoors and up high, away from computers, home entertainment stuff and telephones.

Not all CB antennas are vertically polarized. Mobiles are, of course, but you can still communicate with them with a horizontally polarized fixed station antenna. Within a few miles, you will notice about a 20 dB difference between two antennas with the same polarization and the same antennas with one mounted horizontally and one vertically. With skip, it becomes less of a difference because the signal polarization changes as the signal propagates.

 

[W5LZ]

Beetle pretty well explained it. The biggest and probably the most noticeable difference in polarization (vert/horz) is with how you hear stations closer than the first 'skip' range. If you mix polarizations at sort of short distances (no skip) then there will be some degradation in who/what you can hear. How much degradation there is, is always variable to some extent. That 20dB difference is a fair average though.
All that deals with porpagation, which is 'Momma Nature's business. If you can figure a way of getting on 'her' good side, you got it made. She's female though, so good luck with that!
- 'Doc

 

[JW20VT]

Ive been experimenting with different way of hanging mine , I know the pic wasn't great but with the antenna hung like how I have in pic and get decent RX , all big power guys nothing else .

Ive run one wire down a wall and the other across the ceiling like I was told to try and got good results also . Transmitting honestly I think is junk on it , Seems local I do alright but not many local to test with . Called a channel break and got someone few towns over said I was coming in decent , wasn't loud loud .

I'm hoping the bazooka has better results , either way I want to get something in the air . Just need to work with the few options I got , And I have no big trees near . Least ones that are mine or this wire would have been right up it

 

[W5LZ]

Try it with the feed point on the floor, one leg stretched out along floor and wall, then the other leg running up that wall. That leg running up the wall too long, just run it along the ceiling. That will make the thing vertically polarized which should help a little bit (a one radial 1/4 wave groundplane).
It's not going to be great, mainly because it's inside and not outside and higher. You could expect the same sort of results if it were any other kind of 1/4 wave vertical inside instead of outside. May not be the best thing since sliced bread, but it sure beats nothing.
- 'Doc