Windom and Carolina Windom Antennas

Windom and Carolina Windom Antennas

Windom antennas are basically Off-Center-Fed Dipole (OCFD) unlike the half-wave dipole which is center fed. They are broad band antennas to some extent. The original windom antenna was fed 14% off center with a single wire, which would radiate up to the operating position, which is quite undesirable. The Carolina Windom on the other hand uses a line isolator RF choke to prevent this. The part of the feeder between the antenna and the RF choke which is hanging vertically above the ground radiates, making the Carolina Windom an omnidirectional antenna. As this radiation is at low angle, it is suitable for DX work.

As the Carolina Windom antenna is not center fed, unequal currents exist in the horizontal radiating sections, unlike in the standard half-wave dipole antenna. This is what makes the vertically hanging portion of the coaxial feedline radiate RF energy. Carolina Windom is thus an unbalanced antenna. M0UKD uses 10 feet of 50 Ohms cable as the vertical radiator for his Carolina Windom antenna which needs no tuner at 40m, 20m and 10m. He uses a 4:1 balun at the feed point of the OCFD.