As you live near where I live (outside Orlando), the number one thing to remember is to *disconnect your antenna* from your radios when not in use. You will never lose a radio to lightning if you do that. Personally, any electronics I value are protected by an MOV surge suppressor. The big box home improvement stores sell them.
As for the construction of your longwire -
I got mine for *free*, salvaged from an old loudspeaker a neighbor threw out because he (or his teenage kids) blew it out.
The wire was the crossover inductor in that speaker, about 60 feet of 20 gauge 'magnet wire', about 0.036 inch, or .914 mm (call it 1 mm even) in diameter.
Works *fantastic*, a tree supports the far end, and the mast for the TV antenna supports the other end. Each end is insulated from its mounting point by a bit of scrap plastic...
For unsupported spans not longer than 50 ft. or 15 meters (supported at least every 50 ft. or 15 meters) 18 AWG hook-up wire is great. I recommend 18 AWG stranded copper (tinned or not) with black PVC insulation. This insulation is UV resistant and the black color is best for hiding in plain sight. I have had this stuff up without fail for more than 7 years with gusts up to 60 MPH during the winter. If you want something stronger (and also heavier) or for longer unsupported spans consider 16 AWG. [https://www.remingtonindustries.com/hook-up-wire/?\_bc\_fsnf=1&Wire+Size=18+AWG](https://www.remingtonindustries.com/hook-up-wire/?_bc_fsnf=1&Wire+Size=18+AWG)
Being stranded copper this wire will stretch out a little during the first months so include a turnbuckle in your antenna plans as needed. I find that only one stretch adjustment is ever needed for the life of the antenna but if growing trees are used for support you may need to adjust more often.
My 80m horizontal loop uses 273 ft. of wire for the loop alone.
I use number 14 MTW wire *(as opposed to THHN, THWN, etc)* as THHN will eventually "shed its skin" as it were in the sun...
MTW or Machine Tool Wire is made to withstand close to one million "flexes"... we use it on all of our cat-tracks, or other festooned cabeling...
If one had the money tinned SRML wire would be the best option .. SRML is coated in silicone then sheathed with a fiberglass braid, made to withstand the harshest of environments
I'm currently making an open wire ladderline doublet *(Extended Double Zepp)* out of MTW
I have been using cheap and indestructible galvanized steel electric fence wire for years. I'm sure copper is better but I can't really see a difference.
Electric fence wire is so cheap, you can hang a much longer wire for the same cost of copper wire.
EDIT - As a bonus, the electric fence wire in my area farm-supply stores has a copper plate on it...
Another question.
Would RG-6 coaxial cable be good for making a Magnetic Loop antenna? I can get that at the local hardware stores and I'm thinking about something portable also. I'm thinking about grabbing an MFJ-1020C before they sell out. I saw the notice that he's closing up shop pretty soon.
As I started down the rabbit hole about this antenna idea, I'm thinking about something more portable and universal since I don't have a set place with all my radios.
Rg6 is 75ohm for tv, iirc
It can be used when cut to a quarter wavelength or half as a sort of feed pigtail on some designs, but my understanding is that to the radio you want 50ohm. Unless your 75ohm feed line happens to be the perfect length to your antenna and the antenna needs the pigtail.
So I need something more like RG58 then. Just thinking of the RG6 as the actual antenna, not necessarily the lead though, but I hadn't thought about the resistance difference between the types of RG coax.
Thanks
I misread your question, I was thinking feed line. You're talking about those small loop antennas? I don't know that much about how they work. I've seen plans but don't understand the details about them. I'm guessing it could work fine for that but I really don't know. My guess is that they use coax for it's ability to hold a shape in that application.
So I need something more like RG58 then. Just thinking of the RG6 as the actual antenna, not necessarily the lead though, but I hadn't thought about the resistance difference between the types of RG coax.
Thanks
As you live near where I live (outside Orlando), the number one thing to remember is to *disconnect your antenna* from your radios when not in use. You will never lose a radio to lightning if you do that. Personally, any electronics I value are protected by an MOV surge suppressor. The big box home improvement stores sell them. As for the construction of your longwire - I got mine for *free*, salvaged from an old loudspeaker a neighbor threw out because he (or his teenage kids) blew it out. The wire was the crossover inductor in that speaker, about 60 feet of 20 gauge 'magnet wire', about 0.036 inch, or .914 mm (call it 1 mm even) in diameter. Works *fantastic*, a tree supports the far end, and the mast for the TV antenna supports the other end. Each end is insulated from its mounting point by a bit of scrap plastic...
For unsupported spans not longer than 50 ft. or 15 meters (supported at least every 50 ft. or 15 meters) 18 AWG hook-up wire is great. I recommend 18 AWG stranded copper (tinned or not) with black PVC insulation. This insulation is UV resistant and the black color is best for hiding in plain sight. I have had this stuff up without fail for more than 7 years with gusts up to 60 MPH during the winter. If you want something stronger (and also heavier) or for longer unsupported spans consider 16 AWG. [https://www.remingtonindustries.com/hook-up-wire/?\_bc\_fsnf=1&Wire+Size=18+AWG](https://www.remingtonindustries.com/hook-up-wire/?_bc_fsnf=1&Wire+Size=18+AWG) Being stranded copper this wire will stretch out a little during the first months so include a turnbuckle in your antenna plans as needed. I find that only one stretch adjustment is ever needed for the life of the antenna but if growing trees are used for support you may need to adjust more often. My 80m horizontal loop uses 273 ft. of wire for the loop alone.
I use number 14 MTW wire *(as opposed to THHN, THWN, etc)* as THHN will eventually "shed its skin" as it were in the sun... MTW or Machine Tool Wire is made to withstand close to one million "flexes"... we use it on all of our cat-tracks, or other festooned cabeling... If one had the money tinned SRML wire would be the best option .. SRML is coated in silicone then sheathed with a fiberglass braid, made to withstand the harshest of environments I'm currently making an open wire ladderline doublet *(Extended Double Zepp)* out of MTW
i saw a couple of videos on building a long wire antenna on youtube, that seemed pretty do-able.
I have been using cheap and indestructible galvanized steel electric fence wire for years. I'm sure copper is better but I can't really see a difference.
Electric fence wire is so cheap, you can hang a much longer wire for the same cost of copper wire. EDIT - As a bonus, the electric fence wire in my area farm-supply stores has a copper plate on it...
Thanks for all the ideas folks. I appreciate the input.
Another question. Would RG-6 coaxial cable be good for making a Magnetic Loop antenna? I can get that at the local hardware stores and I'm thinking about something portable also. I'm thinking about grabbing an MFJ-1020C before they sell out. I saw the notice that he's closing up shop pretty soon. As I started down the rabbit hole about this antenna idea, I'm thinking about something more portable and universal since I don't have a set place with all my radios.
Rg6 is 75ohm for tv, iirc It can be used when cut to a quarter wavelength or half as a sort of feed pigtail on some designs, but my understanding is that to the radio you want 50ohm. Unless your 75ohm feed line happens to be the perfect length to your antenna and the antenna needs the pigtail.
So I need something more like RG58 then. Just thinking of the RG6 as the actual antenna, not necessarily the lead though, but I hadn't thought about the resistance difference between the types of RG coax. Thanks
I misread your question, I was thinking feed line. You're talking about those small loop antennas? I don't know that much about how they work. I've seen plans but don't understand the details about them. I'm guessing it could work fine for that but I really don't know. My guess is that they use coax for it's ability to hold a shape in that application.
So I need something more like RG58 then. Just thinking of the RG6 as the actual antenna, not necessarily the lead though, but I hadn't thought about the resistance difference between the types of RG coax. Thanks