6 gauge wire antenna use

[rjvalenta]

i have 100ft of 6AWG THHN that i bought to ground some things and never used... i read somewhere that the thicker the wire used for an antenna, the wider the bandwidth (anyone correct me if what i read was wrong or has limits).

and now i need to build a combined(fan) 40m/6m dipole.

would there be any drawbacks to using this wire for the dipole other than weight? would there be any advantages over my plan to use 12 gauge wire?

thanks,

Richard
N0TZC

 

[KB4MSZ]

There would be a small (very small) increase in bandwidth but I can't see it being worth trying to work with wire that heavy. I'm not a big guy but stretching a 14 gage 40 meter 1/2 wave dipole to anywhere near flat top is about all I can do without a pully of some sort. The average recommended element ratio I have found with internet searches is .0085 x the wavelength. For 40 meters this would be a diameter of 1.1692"

 

[prcguy]

If you were running 10kW or more yes, otherwise no.

 

[JustinWHT]

The "skin effect" where RF conducts on surface of wire. A larger circumference wire would have negligible wider bandwidth.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Seriously, my priority would be to ground the heck out of your "shack" with a common ground system bonded to the utility with that 6 GA wire. Then buy some smaller gauge for your dipoles.

 

[KF5LJW]

Remember, no code-compliant method allows you to use building lighting and power wires like THHN. It is soft-drawn copper and cannot support itself. It is made to go inside raceways for support. It cannot span a distance or be used overhead to carry electrical power or signals. NEC 810 is very clear on the subject. Antenna wire must be hard-drawn copper, copper-clad steel, bronze, or high-strength material. The size of the wire depends upon the span length, from Table 810.52

 

[rjvalenta]

thank you everyone! i'm here to learn and got a lot out of this.

rjv