In recent articles, we have reviewed some of the approaches to building a station for 630 and 2200 meters following a number of questions posted around the Internet about how to get started. While these articles are not intended to be comprehensive, my hope is that they would help the prospective operator consider some of their options as well as the potential challenges that they might encounter in the design and construction process. I prefer loaded verticals and therefore instruct from that perspective. Please understand that there are a number of ways to radiate a signal below the AM broadcast band, so if you are feeling adventurous, experiment and see what works well for you. No two systems are truly alike.
Loading Short Verticals
This month we continue with our discussion of loading short verticals, specifically the details of using a variometer to load the structure to resonance. I would encourage interested readers to review my previous articles on this topic as there will no doubt be ideas and concepts that I may not repeat in this discussion. Referring to my original discussions from 2017 and 2018 may also be helpful. Things change and experience sometimes brings progress.
Why do I like the variometer as a supplemental loading device? I think flexibility is the main reason. While there are individuals who do a good job predicting inductance values of traditional, fixed coils, most of us on small plots of land (which is
