More on the W3EDP

The original post I made on the W3EDP antenna I use for field use and as my main antenna is by far the most popular post I have made on this blog. I did some digging and it seems that every May since 2011 I tend to right some article about the W3EDP. I have covered how I make mine, and how I deploy it. Currently, it is the only antenna I have deployed on HF. Originally, I had intended to deploy it in a temporary fashion, but the antenna just seems to like being there. I've created a Picture of how the antenna looks as viewed from the side, sorry if my artistry leaves something to be desired.

This antenna gets the QSOs

Every now and then I tweak it a lil to make sure the wire isn't rubbing the bottom of a tree limb or something. Notes on this configuration: The antenna runs due east west. The east side is the far end, and the west side is where I feed the antenna. I seem to get a lot of contacts into Europe, and into the north east, especially on 40 and 20. Contacts to the west are iffy. I would like to put a similar antenna up that runs north south in pretty much the same configuration. It would be doable, but tricky. it's easy to install a Sloper North South, but not so easy to put up an antenna in a "Trapezoid" configuration as I have it installed. I may decide to go ahead and slope out the east west antenna, but we shall see.

I don't know if it's the water in the ground because of recent rains, or if it's that the trees are growing, but I notice that the tuning has been a bit touchy, and inconsistent. I seem to recall having to do very little tweaking all winter, when the tree may be green, but fairly dormant (no new growth, and little rain). Now I have to hunt for a sweet spot on the tuner a lil harder, and the knobs seem to be sharp tuning. I'll try to make and keep a chart for next years post, and publish the boring data :)
May update this post (or just make a new one) in a week or two if I decide to put up a North/South W3EDP. I also have to plan for the skeeter sprint, so tweakin' out my setup for that will consume my ham radio time.
73!