This is a really cool antenna and I got it to work, at least it seems to work pretty good so far.
I made a random wire antenna from #34 magnet wire (I wrote a post yesterday about it). The wire is VERY small (see pictures below), which means it is weak so that is a big drawback. However, the bigger drawback is the wire reflects sunlight very well. At certain times of day, on a bright sunny day, the wire is like a red laser shooting across the front yard. That will have to be changed.
However, for now it radiates and gets out pretty well. The best part I see with it is the RFI issue - on 20m (one of my big problem bands) there is no RF getting in to the TV here!
Yesterday I tried a couple grounds. I posted a while ago about my antenna work. One of the antennas that came out of that was using part of the gutters as a radiator fed against a spigot outside on the corner of the house. That uses the whole plumbing in the house as a ground = very good. So I thought I could just use that run of coax to the plumbing as my ground for the random wire. Wrong. RFI.
So I kept thinking along the lines of "plumbing as a ground" and ran a wire (don't laugh!) from my tuner, 30' across the upstairs hall, and in to the pipes under the sink in the bathroom. This was a BAD idea. I ran my wire back behind my desk, my stereo, and my TV and caused some big time RFI.
I decided to call a buddy of mine and discuss this a bit. He was re-emphasizing having a good ground for the antenna to work well. What I had with the wires was more of a counterpoise than a good RF ground - which meant the wires were radiating elements (hence, my RFI). There are two ways to get an RF ground in a house, at least what I have heard: 1. plumbing, and 2. duct work.
As I was on the phone with my friend I just happened to look at the return vent on my wall and thought "BINGO!" I have access to one of the two sources of RF ground right in my room. Only, I figured the vent on the floor next to the desk would be both easier to get to and closer for tapping.
So that is just what I did:
I used 1/2" ground braid as the direct connection to the duct since it is flat and a run of 6g stranded wire, scrap from the power cable I put in my first car. I used a nail and a hammer to make the hole in the duct and drilled a hole through a tinned tip on the ground braid. Then I screwed the braid on to the duct and soldered on the 6g wire to the other, tinned (with excess solder drips), end of the braid.
The other end of the 6g wire bolts to the back of the tuner. This ring terminal was what connected it to the battery when it was in the car, way over-kill for this application! Can you see the antenna wire? Its back there!
Ok, ok... here's a better picture of the antenna wire. It helps having a white background! Note, the wire disappears on the other side of the window.
Here is a shot from another window where the wire is just barely visible. My camera focused on the screen, but you can still detect the wire. Look at the more dense, dark spot of the tree towards the bottom. You can see a faint red line passing by.
I talked to a few people on 20 meters a little while ago and the antenna works. The band conditions today are pretty bad - heavy QSB. However, one guy I was talking to in Missouri, gave me a 59 report and he was about 10 over 9 on my end. So, it does get out! I will have to try some other bands and see how it plays.
As for the magnet wire, I think I am going to replace it. Although the wire is really tiny, it is shiny and it draws too much attention when the light hits it. Plus, it is weak so it is eventually going to break. I will see if I can find some leader wire at a tackle shop and try some of that. I don't think the type of wire is going to make much of a difference in this case - the tuner will match whatever impedance it presents and the ground will stay the same.
