Building a Great Low-Cost QRP Antenna! The Speaker Wire Doublet

[@robduncan599]

You could make it a bit shorter and a bit easier on the ATU ? By making it similar size as a 1/2 size G5RV (51 feet end to end and abound 17 feet feeder )? Or extend the feeder and shorten the dipole legs making the total length feeder+one side 42-43 feet , will give a low to medium match? Or like me get the feeder length bang on a 50 ohm match on one particular band ? I find the dipole lengh is not so important, as you say , however the total length including feeder might add up to a bad match ? Just a thought . i been playing around with doublet ant last 25 years ,still learning . Currently using 70 metre top with about 16 metre ladder line and a short 2 meter coax gives me good match on 160m ,flat on 40, and 30m, 6m and medium match on all bands apart from 80m which i am working on .

[@aa3konthego]

Interesting observations. Right now I only use this doublet for portable QRP activities so using a tuner to get to any band is acceptable. Though the last time I set it up in the field I had the common problem I have with any dipole, getting both legs around tree branches.