The Lure of The Ladder Line G5RV Antenna VE3KL Wireman551 Copper Clad Steel Core 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Presentation Outline The Lure of the Ladder Line: Steve Ford QST 1993 Wes Stewart N7WS, Dan McGuire AC6LA Losses in common Transmissions lines Examples of High and Low Losses in Ladder Line The G5RV Antenna 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Steve Ford’s Experiment (looking for a small multi-band antenna) QST 1993 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

First Attempt (Coaxial Feed) 66 foot dipole Used from 160 to 10 metres ! 66 Feet Thick Copper High Quality Coax RG213 Loss:0.2 dB @1.9 MHz Looks Good! 50 Feet Tuner 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

First Attempt.. Results Total Loss = 25 dB @ 1.9 MHz Why? 66 Feet Thick Copper High Quality Coax RG213 Loss:0.2 dB @1.9 MHz 50 Feet 100 W in 0.3 W Radiated Tuner Excellent @ 40m Half Wave Dipole 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Second Attempt..Ladder Line Total Loss = 8.6 dB @ 1.9 MHz Why? 66 Feet Thick Copper Ladder Line Wireman 551 Loss:0.1 dB @1.9 MHz 50 Feet 100 W in 14 W Radiated Tuner 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Wes Stewart Measured Wireman 551 Losses Used an HP VNA at 50 MHz Now Let’s find out Why Wes Stewart Measured Wireman 551 Losses Used an HP VNA at 50 MHz Included the case for ice/snow Dan McGuire included DC and Low frequencies Developed TLDetails…reflection losses Uses measurements from Wes Stewart 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Insertion Loss: Depends on frequency Three components to loss Loss at or near DC..160 m Ladder Line Skin effect Loss.. Important through HF Dielectric Loss..usually small but can dominate as we will see in Ladder Line A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Insertion Loss: Depends on frequency Basic Formula….not complete in 1993 DC Component Skin Effect Dielectric Loss A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

TLDetails Dan McGuire AC6LA Visual Basic Transmission Line Calculator Includes work of Wes Stewart for Ladder Line Added the effect of DC resistance Includes reflection losses assuming a perfect Antenna tuner A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Zin,SWR,all losses,RL,power,Zo,VF… TL Details AC6LA Given the load ZL,TLDetails solves the Telegraphers equation Tuner (Ideal) Load ZL TX (Ideal) Transmission Line A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits Zin,SWR,all losses,RL,power,Zo,VF… ZL from measurements or simulation 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Loss in Ladder line is so small it does not have to be considered Common Myth Loss in Ladder line is so small it does not have to be considered in the design Let’s Challenge this A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

TLDetails AC6LA ..the myth LMR 400 Coax Wireman 551 A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Wireman 551 Note the scale (100 dB max.) ICE/Snow DRY A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Back To Steve’s Experiment Use SimSmith A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

First Attempt 66 foot dipole Used from 160 to 10 metres! 66 Feet Thick Copper High Quality Coax RG213 Loss:0.2 dB @1.9 MHz Looks Good! 50 Feet Tuner 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Dominated by Reflection Losses Power in = 100 Watts RG-213 Power out = 0.315 Watts @1.8 MHz A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Apply Ideas to the Balanced G5RV Antenna Approximate Analysis using EZNEC,TLDetails SimSmith A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Balanced G5RV Antenna 31.8 metres 3λ/2 @14.15 MHz Radiator Ladder Line Make Up Section Balun A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits Coaxial Cable Critical Antenna Tuner 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Case 1 Coax Cable Length = 0 31.8 metres 3λ/2 @14.15 MHz Radiator ZAnt λ/2 @14.15 MHz Ladder Line NOT a RADIATOR ZT Balun/Tuner A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits Use EZNEC Antenna Simulator to find ZAnt Use TLDetails to find ZT and Losses 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Case 1: Coax Cable Length = 0 Wireman 551 Ladder Line Loss (Length = 31.31 feet) Band [m] Freq [MHz] Zant [Ohms] ZT [Ohms Loss [dB] Performance 160 [1.8] 5.6 – j1521 5 – j519 7 Poor 80 [3.5] 25 – j421 17 –j14 1.7 Fair 40 [7 ] 506 + j1174 53 –j123 0.24 Excellent 30 [10.1] 1344 – j2180 77 + j409 0.6 Good 20 [14.15] 121 + j0 125 + j0 0.2 17 [18.068] 2540 +j1700 91 –j382 0.4 15 [21 ] 268 – j991 45 + j128 12 [24.89] 233 +j412 109 + j45 10 [28] 3030 + j169 2194 +j1120 A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits Length of Antenna = 103 feet

Case 2 Coaxial Cable Length = 50 feet 31.8 metres 3λ/2 @14.15 MHz Radiator λ/2 @14.15 MHz Ladder Line NOT a RADIATOR Balun A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits Coaxial Cable RG213 Critical Antenna Tuner 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL

Case 2: Coax Cable (RG213) Length = 50 feet Loss due to Coax Band [m] Freq [MHz] ZT [Ohms Coax Loss [dB] Performance 160 [1.8] 5 – j519 10.8 Poor 80 [3.5] 17 –j14 0.4 Excellent 40 [7] 53 –j123 0.8 30 [10.1] 77 + j409 3.9 20 [14.15] 125 + j0 17 [18.068] 91 –j382 4.0 15 [21] 45 + j128 1.5 Good 12 [24.89] 109 + j45 0.6 10 [28] 2194 +j 1120 5.9 A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits

G5RV Using SimSmith Loss @ 1.8 MHz = 18 dB Ladder Line Coax Tx EZNEC (Antenna) A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits

G5RV Summary Works well on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 12 meters Must set it up to resonate at 14.15 MHz Other Losses not included: Tuner, Ant. efficiency High SWR produces very high voltages Needs a very high quality Tuner and Coax Poor performance if covered with Ice/Snow A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits

Summary Can apply the methods to most antenna systems Wire, vertical, Yagi, Uhf SimSMith can import measured or EZNEC data Can include tuner losses and imperfect transmitters Can include antenna losses Be careful with SWR values > 3:1 A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits

73 Dave VE3KL A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits

References Louis Varney Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-6Gq5Od6m4 Balanced Transmission Lines in Current Amateur Practice, Wes Stewart, N7WS http://users.triconet.org/wesandlinda/ladder_line.pdf Steve Ford, WB8IMY, The Lure of the Ladder Line, QST Dec 1993 TLDetails, Dan Maguire, AC6LA: http://www.ac6la.com/tldetails.html SimSmith, AE6TL http://www.ae6ty.com/Smith_Charts.html A method that you can use easily to evaluate your own noise environment A method that you can use to evaluate the quality of the ionosphere at any give time. Some methods to control received noise The Shannon Hartley limits 11/21/2018 David Conn VE3KL