And I enjoy sharing what I have learned. You and I both have a considerable amount of time and money invested in this hobby, although mine has been in storage since 2005. Don't give up on the j-pole my friend, get the measurements from that link I posted, grab some wire, and mount it to the outside wall of your apartment. I think you'll be surprised! Call me sometime!
Tommy J.
AM-580 The Bull!
I'm real glad Ultanium posted the link to the J-Pole Antenna, which I had never before known about. Very interesting and I am going to spend some time trying to visualize how it works.
And to you, kc8gpd, please hang in there with this good hobby. The righteous police use that as a way of keeping us all safe. They just need to remember, we are seeking scientific knowledge, not planning a crime.
There is too much artificial terrorism being pepper sprayed... I mean, being spread around.
We're all citizens here.
This one has a calculator for the j-pole and a slim-jim antenna, and specifically mentions your ladder line. Type in your frequency, press the calculate button, then put your mouse over the image of the antenna.
http://m0ukd.com/Calculators/Slim_Jim/index.php
Tommy J.
AM-580 The Bull!
did you try sanding the metal then using flux?
I am just trying to figure out something that might help. I always used a small hose clamp to attach a wire to the metal on home brew antennas.
Sorry your having so much trouble.
That shield material can be annoying to work with. Maybe you could use a wire nut and a short copper lead wire for the connection.
Neil
Some manufacturers use aluminum for the shield to lower cost. That's not going to take solder.
i'm going to need to get some panel mount F connectors and make a small shielded junction box to interconnect the stub, feed and folded dipole.
I noticed the title of a show scheduled this weekend here on KDX because of the earlier complaint about "righteous" comments.
The program, "Authoritarian vs. Reality," is an interview with a book author who says, "The authoritarian is a strange and troubling creature -- usually conservative, usually a religious fundamentalist and very closed minded."
Please know that Carl Blare is not agreeing nor disagreeing with this statement, just mentioning that it reminded me of this thread.