Total posts : 45366
[quote=T.ALLRED]I have a 20′ antenna pole I am considering to use for my SSTRAN antenna. Would my tx get as much range using a metal pole instead of copper?[/quote]
The type of metal that the pole is made of isn’t going to make any difference. (The copper could bend easier..)
If you get it high into the air, Tuning is going to be tough unless you have a bucket truck or a ladder. Even at that, Everytime you move the tuning changes..
Put your efforts into some ground radials and keep it close to the ground where you can reach it. I suggest just high enough to reach the tuning part of the antenna. (The copper pipe area) That puts the coil around chest height. Now you can put the VOM in there and adjust for peak voltage. Just remember to move away from the antenna 4-6 feet everytime after each adjustment to get a more accurate reading. You’ll see what I mean…(LOL) A field strength meter sure helps also..
As for the ground area, The best results that I’ve had was with some chicken wire at the base. I bought a 50′ roll, Cut it in half and made an “X” at the center of the base. Soldered it togather at several places where the pieces overlaped and connected it to the mounting pole which was around 5′ tall. (The SStran was grounded to the pole) The near field ground makes tuning a lot easier and you will achieve the 15 volt target voltage closer than anything else that I’ve tried..
Remember your goal.. Get as much resonance going on in the antenna system as possible. The loss in height isn’t going to compare to the loss of resonance in a far field ground. Better resonance, better match to the xmtr, more output..
