Modeling the Raingutter Antenna Using EZNEC

While browsing in Ham Radio Outlet a few days ago, I saw an ARRL book Antenna Modeling For Beginners. I bought it and decided to use my raingutter antenna as a learning example.

I am continually amazed at the technological advances in ham radio in my 10 year absence.  My TS-590S is an absolute miracle radio compared to the old HW-100 that I started out with.  My MFB-269 antenna analyzer: Had such a thing existed 20 years ago (thou if it had I was too poor to afford one) it would have saved me SO MUCH time and energy.

And now I’ve discovered that simple-to-use antenna modeling software is actually available free. Of course, I’m not sure how much relationship to reality there will be in the outputs. If EZNEC can model the fact that my raingutter is mounted on a stucco house and to it sits at the top if a big vertical rectangle (the wall) that is stucco over chicken wire, then I am not yet aware of it. Anyway, here’s what I get:

40M 1/4 Wave Dipole as a reference (North is at the top):

Raingutter at 20M (North is at the top):

Raingutter at 40M (North at the top):

Raingutter at 80M (North at the top):

Raingutter at 160M (North at the top):