Lamp Cord as an RF Feedline. Post 1946.
If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmMAnGRLNfw. Although radio amateurs have used "Zip"cord/Lamp cord successfully for antenna elements and ground radial wires for decades, lamp cord as a balanced feedline has been problematic. The main drawback to lamp cord feedlines has been excessive line loss, especially on amateur radio bands above 40 meters. Yet, properly used, zip cord/lamp cord can be used to make usable portable antennas for emergency field use. In this video, Stan Gibilisco (W1GV) examines the pros and cons of using inexpensive zip cord for HF antenna feedlines. Basically, this type of antenna is a half-wavelength, center-fed dipole using two conductor lamp cord as a temporary balanced feedline. Do these antennas work? As Stan says, "It depends." The only good news in using zip cord for feedlines is that an electrical 1/2 wavelength of any feedline will r...