Posted: 8/24/2014 7:16:00 AM EDT
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I have an MFJ-1796 I bought when I first got my license back in January ( a vertical center fed dipole with loading coils and capacitance hats). Since then, my long term installs include an OCF 1/2 wave 80m dipole and a full wave 160m loop for HF use. I have also rehabbed my dad's old Hustler 5BTV (yet untested), which is a bottom fed vertical for 80m - 10m. For 2m/70cm, I have a home made vertical 17' 5 element collinear. Lately, the loop is getting most of my HF use. Most of my antennas are essentially omni-directional & the OCF is strung North/South. I'm thinking it might be nice to try something I can aim (while working on a beer budget...).
Anyway, it got me thinking about modding the 1796 for horizontal use and making it rotate. The mod would consist of re-positioning the "L" mounted bottom coils & cap hats to be in-line like those on the top (the feedline balun would become separate from the antenna at that point). The structure will be about 14' from end to end. Then I'd have to do an insulated, mast mountable, cradle/bracket for support the center feed point area that did not interfere with the 6m & 2m elements. The feedline balun would likely mount to the mast with the existing hardware. The 5BTV can fill the vertical orientation slot if I feel the need later (probably will set it up anyway out of curiosity). I'm thinking the modified 1796 horizontal would be light enough for a "heavy duty" TV rotator to handle, it would be symmetrical around the center for wind loads & not that heavy. What do y'all think? Could the payoff be worth the effort or would a 14' multi-band be too much of a compromise on a rotator? Nick |
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I ran a MFJ-1769 aka Hy-Gain TH-1 with a Radio Shack TV rotor, on a 10' mast on a tripod on my roof. No problems at all except strong winds would occasionally rotate the rotor a bit. No big deal if you leave the rotor at mid-rotation when not using it, and just turn the control full CW and CCW to re-calibrate it. Mine is 26' long!
ETA: I have no idea how your antenna would work in that position but it would be fun to try it and see. 
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The wife has pre-emptively vetoed roof top mounts so it would probably use the same location by the deck, just a taller mast. Not sure yet if it will be ridgeline high or not. The loop has been working so well that I am wondering if the new setup would have enough potential benefit to warrant the attempt with that kind of height constraint.
I will probably do it at some point just to see what happens... Nick |