(18 June 2014)
The VHF antennas shown above include the "raw" element lengths. That is, the element lengths are those used with a wood or plastic (dielectric) boom or supported above or below a metal boom with an large insulator. To convert these raw lengths into actual lengths used when passed through the center of metal booms, you need to add a correction factor, based on whether the element is insulated and passes through the center of a metal boom, or is shorted directly to the metal boom with a clamp. If the element is insulated when it passes through the metal boom, the correction factor is approximately 1/4 the diameter of the boom. For example, for a 36" (raw length) insulated element passed through the center of a 1" metal boom, the correction factor is 0.25", so the actual length should be 36.25" when built.
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Roger Cox - Grand Haven, MI