I was working slowly on how to add a 10m element to the 15m Moxon in preparation for the CQ WW DX Contest this past weekend. I ran into some mechanical problems and work got even slower. After thinking over it, I decided to try and finish the 20-15-10m fan dipole I had started some time back. I had already printed the dipole center and spreaders so I though why not? Gain at 33ft would be a respectable 6dBi and should give me some help running QRP during the contest.
The antenna went up on Friday morning. Tuning was way off when I started which I tracked down to some feedline issues. After replacing the feedline, I started seeing the appropriate SWR dips but they were not centered on the bands. I decided to try it anyway with the antenna tuner and made some test contacts at 5W.
I was unable to work the start of the contest on Friday night but thought I’d start in the morning when the 15m band opens up to the EU. I look out the window and… spaghetti on the ground. I raise the antenna and sort out the wires. The antenna hears beautifully with many, many signals. Unfortunately, no one can hear me. I bring the whole thing down again and now here it sits on the shack floor:
In retrospect, the spreaders should have been longer and tuning this antenna turns out to be a fairly painful process. I would have been better off with the 44ft doublet…
Adventures in Amateur Radio 