Butternut HF9V

1. HF9V Assembly
2. Installing with Radials
3. Multiband 80m to 6m RADIALS - A Radial System on Loops by IK5XCT
4. References

HF9V Assembly

Installing with Radials

Multiband 80m to 6m RADIALS - A Radial System on Loops by IK5XCT

The Butternut has been optimized directly on the roof with SWRV close to 1:1 in all bands by means of an MFJ analyzer at the base, acting on the physical element-inductance length and with the "cut & try" method for adjusting the wire counterpoise elements . From theory we know that the ground losses of a 1/4 wave GP with 4 radials, placed at least at 1/2 a wavelength off the real ground, has an efficiency comparable to the same vertical placed directly on the ground with 120 radials.

"" The IK5XCT installation has two radials 1/4 wavelength from 40 to 6 meters, and two radials 1/8 loaded linearly for 80 meters, all gathered in two opposite beams at 180 degrees. This will make the radiation lobe slightly oval in the missing directions with respect to at least 3 or 4 radial bundles.

In the photo you can see the wires marked from 1L to 7L for the left side and from 1R to 7R for the right.

These loops were then drilled with 3mm holes to pass 1.5mm wire through to acts as a radial. On the first ring 7 holes must be drilled at a constant distance so that the length of the string between one and the other is about 15cm .. 15cm will also be the measurement between the nearest hole and the original morgain antenna that is now repurposed as a counterpoise. The purpose of the loops is to spaces the radials apart as an alternative to the traditional fan arrangement. These loops get progressively smaller as less and less radial remain.

As the loop progress away from the dipole:

• The frist loop has 7 Holes plus the repurposed morgan at the top.
  It has a diameter of about 35cm.
• The second loop has 6 holes because the 6m radial does not extend
  this far and it follows that the diameter of the loop will be smaller.
• The 3rd loop has 5 holes as the 6m and 10m radials do not extend
  this far and the loop has an even smaller diameter.
• And so on until you get to the 7 loop with a diameter of only 18cm where
  there will be only one hole at 15cm from the Morgain.
• The 8th, 9th and 10th loop have only 1 hole to support the 30m radial
  which will reach 7.4m.

A radial fixing plate manufactured to connect the original 80 and 40 meter radials and the 7 higher frequency radials.

So maybe the 40 / 80 radials are tuned counterpoise in the Morgain folder pattern and tuning the Morgain Antenna Counterpoise procedure consist in moving the jumpers AA for the 80 meters, and jumpers BB for the 40 meters. To calibrate , prepare 4 wire jumpers , 12 cm long, with connecting pins at the ends. You start by inserting the pins ( with the relative jumpers ) in the lenghts listed, then raise the antenna in the working elevation and trace the SWR. If this is not acceptable, move the jumpers a little at a time until you will reach an SWR close to 1:1. At this point, after having taken notice of the exact distances, replace the jumpers with new jumpers that will be soldered and insulated . You will notice immediately , from the first movements that there is a significant interaction between the calibration of 80 m and that of 40 m, so make tuning by for short distances.

References