I was wondering what guage wire you have used for dipoles, and what is the smallest you would use, and why?
Thanks,
73
Thanks,
73
-
You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.
Question about making dipoles
- Thread starter albinoalligator
- Start date
The wire used for a dipole antenna should be large enough to have enough strength so that the antenna can support it's self and maybe the feed line. It also helps if the wire is 'hard-drawn', not stretchy, and is fairly easy to solder to. After that, it's more a matter of what you have enough of.
It helps to know a few other things. When it's new, there's very little or no difference between solid and stranded wire. As it gets older, the stranded wire tends to corrode between the strands and makes for a sort of 'noisier' antenna than a solid wire does. Nothing wrong with using stranded wire, just something to remember. Using insulated stranded wire, and sealing the places where the insulation is cut off, takes care if that sort of thingy just fine. Soldering the bare wire and heating the insulation (melt it) usually works fine.
The size of the wire can play a part in how easy it is to handle. Being practical helps a lot. Got 2 or 3 miles of #2 wire? Better have some pretty strong trees/poles to hold that stuff up, right? In the other direction, if it's small enough to break by a gloved hand, it's too small. It'd probably work fine electrically, but how would you keep it in one piece? Another size, somewhere in between those two ought'a work easier/better.
Mixing sizes can work just fine, as long as the joints are good mechanically and electrically. Back to that being practical thingy, you know?
I think Hard-drawn #18 has been the smallest I've used, and something like #10 being the largest.
All the above applies to copper, mostly. Copper isn't as strong as steel, so lots of lee-way there, sort of. As long as the wire has a fairly low resistance, almost anything will work. Connecting the different metals, soldering, bolts, etc, can get sort of 'strange' at times, but if it makes good mechanical/electrical contact, it'll probably work okay. For me, it's a matter of what I can find locally, and what I can afford. Gold and/or silver is not one of my options!
- 'Doc
It helps to know a few other things. When it's new, there's very little or no difference between solid and stranded wire. As it gets older, the stranded wire tends to corrode between the strands and makes for a sort of 'noisier' antenna than a solid wire does. Nothing wrong with using stranded wire, just something to remember. Using insulated stranded wire, and sealing the places where the insulation is cut off, takes care if that sort of thingy just fine. Soldering the bare wire and heating the insulation (melt it) usually works fine.
The size of the wire can play a part in how easy it is to handle. Being practical helps a lot. Got 2 or 3 miles of #2 wire? Better have some pretty strong trees/poles to hold that stuff up, right? In the other direction, if it's small enough to break by a gloved hand, it's too small. It'd probably work fine electrically, but how would you keep it in one piece? Another size, somewhere in between those two ought'a work easier/better.
Mixing sizes can work just fine, as long as the joints are good mechanically and electrically. Back to that being practical thingy, you know?
I think Hard-drawn #18 has been the smallest I've used, and something like #10 being the largest.
All the above applies to copper, mostly. Copper isn't as strong as steel, so lots of lee-way there, sort of. As long as the wire has a fairly low resistance, almost anything will work. Connecting the different metals, soldering, bolts, etc, can get sort of 'strange' at times, but if it makes good mechanical/electrical contact, it'll probably work okay. For me, it's a matter of what I can find locally, and what I can afford. Gold and/or silver is not one of my options!
- 'Doc
#14 is what I seem to use a lot of.
-Because I have a big spool of black, insulated wire
-Because it's big enough to handle, support itself
-Because it's small enough that it doesn't weigh a ton
-Because it's easy to cut and put connectors on
-Because I can get it pretty much anywhere
-Because I have a big spool of black, insulated wire
-Because it's big enough to handle, support itself
-Because it's small enough that it doesn't weigh a ton
-Because it's easy to cut and put connectors on
-Because I can get it pretty much anywhere
Hello Albinoalligator:
Don't forget to use a Balun between the dipole and Coax.
http://www.arising.com.au/people/Holland/Ralph/cmbalun.htm
Jay in the Mojave
Don't forget to use a Balun between the dipole and Coax.
http://www.arising.com.au/people/Holland/Ralph/cmbalun.htm
Jay in the Mojave
- No one is chatting at the moment.