Step Five - Installing the feedline

  • The transmission line itself is 50 ohm coax and should be connected at the top of the post to the terminals for 20 Meters. Modeling has
    shown that top feeding is slightly preferable to connecting the feedline at the bottom.  You might want to have a SO 239 coax socket on
    the baseplate so that the feedline can be installed or removed easily. RG 58 coax is recommended for the steps below as it is so much
    easier to work with but if you plan to run more than 5-600 watts, you should use RG 213 coax as I have done here. A single coax
    feedline serves all bands.

  • Each set of driver wires is connected via small pieces of coax as shown below.

  • After completing the installation of the feedline components it would be a good idea to do an ohm meter check to make sure there are
    no short circuits of coax braid to the inside wire.
Site publication date 12/2005
Page revision date 9/2007
Here is schematically what you
will be doing with the terminals
on the center post.
Make coax pieces for
connection between the
center post driver terminals
using #12-#10 ring terminals.
You will need to measure
between the terminals for each
piece to ensure that it fits.
Solder the lugs onto the coax.
The utility lighter is a great
tool for this. I like it better than
the soldering iron-- no wires. If
you are not going to be
running more than 500 watts of
transmitter power output, you
can use RG 58 coax instead of
RG 213 and it is much easier
to work with.
Apply liquid tape generously to
all exposed coax braid to
prevent moisture from getting
in.
Install the coax pieces
between the terminals. Also
install the coax piece from the
top as shown here down the
side of the post to the SO 239
socket mounted on the
baseplate if you are using one.
This photo was taken after the
driver and reflector wires were
installed.
Click these photos to enlarge
Notice the use of lock washers
here as a way to prevent the
hardware from working its way
loose as wind and rotation
causes the wires to move. I
also added glue to the end of
the bolts. This photo was taken
after the wires were installed in
Step 6.
Hex beam by K4KIO