6 METER EDZ SIGNAL
SQUIRTER
(DESIGNED FOR
50.200mhz + -)
The Six Meter Extended Double Zepp is a
very easy and inexpensive antenna for the 6 meter buff to build in about
an hour or less and will add about 3 db to your signal from it's broadside
bi-directional pattern when installed about a half wave up from the
ground. You mignt call it a diplole with gain!
All of the
materials used to build this antenna can be found locally or you may even
have them laying around.
The wire for the main two halves of the
antenna can be any strong wire size such as #14 stranded copper. The
lead-in to the tuner can be 300 ohm "twinlead", regular lamp cord split in
half or 450 ohm ladder line.
Keep the antenna and all of its parts
including the line going to the tuner as far away from metal objects as
possible to prevent pattern distortion, detuning, and swr problems.
Support the antenna from ropes or cord of the proper length to trees,
buildings, etc from the end insulators and as high as
possible.
Standard "egg" insulators or any other type of insulator
(non-conductive) can be used on the ends and in the center.
NOTE: Cut the lengths for the horizontal sections
about one foot longer than the actual lengths shown in the picture below
so you will have enough wire to wrap thru the insulators and then back on
it'self and tied tightly.
Below is a "crude" drawing of the antenna
design....the pattern will be "looking at you and away from you as with
any standard dipole.
You should end up with the
approximate lengths shown in the picture drawing
below.
Solder the connections at the center insulator and
seal well with electrical tape and some kind of sealer appropriate for
outdoor use. (you want to make the connections water tight if
possible)
Attach the ends of the downlead to the "balanced"
terminals of your tuner,
fire up your 6 meter rig on 50.200mhz AM,
using just enough power to check swr per normal procedures and trim
antenna as needed for lowest swr as with any antenna
project.
(You may get lucky and not have to do any trial and
error!)
(Make sure you give your call and say testing while checking
the swr!)
HOW TO
CALCULATE APPROXIMATE LENGTHS FOR THE EDZ - OR HOW TO GET A MATH LESSON
FOR FREE!
Since this is an Extended Double Zepp
design,
each half of the antenna is 5/8 wavelength long.
If you
remember, a half wave diplole length is calculated using the formula
468/freq in mhz = total length in feet.
A half wave when converted to
decimals = .5
A full wave = 1.0
Therefore we can determine what
5/8's wave length long would be by first converting the formula above to a
full wave length,
468 x 2 = 936
SO,
936/our freq in mhz would
give us the total length of a full wave length antenna, but we are looking
for 5/8's of one wave length for each side so we have to determine what
1/8 of one wave length is and then multiply by 5.
Example:
Divide 936 by 8
(number of 8ths in one wavelength) = 117 for 1/8 wave length.
We're
looking for the 5/8's formula so:
if 117 = 1/8
then 5 x 117 = 585 (our magic
number!)
So using this new found number substituted in the
formula we have:
585/50.2mhz = ll.65 feet per side!
NOW WE KNOW EACH
LENGTH PER SIDE!
BUT WAIT!!!!
HOW MUCH IS .65 of one foot IN
INCHES?????
"MAN! I'M NEVER GONNA GET THIS
ANTENNA UP BECAUSE OF ALL THIS MATH!"
Don't
be so impatient!!!!!!!
Here is how to find out how much .65
of one foot is!
Since we have decimals in use, .65 is the same as
saying 65%.
Simply multiply 12 inches X .65 = 7.8
inches!
Our length for one half of the
antenna is = 11 feet + 7.8 inches = 11 feet 7.8 inches per side or rounded
off.....11 feet 8 inches!
More formulas and another
EDZ project here!
