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Re: [TenTec] 160 Meter Problem

To: k9yc@arrl.net, Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] 160 Meter Problem
From: Jim Allen <jim.allen@longhornband.net>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:17:15 -0500
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Be that as it may, I loaded up the 706MKIIG just fine and worked the OK
station which had a very good signal here, one of the best I'd heard on
160M.  I have never tried 160M here, in large part because the antennas I
have available suffer from the deficiencies you describe.

This antenna is 130' long.  The center is at 32' with the ends drooping to
around 12-15' on each end.  It is fed through ~105' of 450 ohm twin lead to
the AH-4 on the exterior wall of the shack, thence through an "ugly balun"
of RG-8X and on into the shack.  It seems to be fairly effective on 30M and
higher, less so on 40 and less so going lower.  I don't recall ever hearing
another station on 160M with this antenna, which has only been up since
spring, but I seldom listen there since the antenna is what it is.  I saw
the W1AW/5 on the reflector and thought I would see if I could hear
anything, and I did.

It is this uncertainty that keeps us trying things experts say won't work.
Sometimes they don't, but other times, they work OK.  I'm glad I took the
chance, because 1) I worked the OK station and 2) it revealed some issue
with the radio not working as it should so now we will figure out why.

73 de W6OGC  Jim Allen


On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 12:01 PM, Jim Brown <k9yc@audiosystemsgroup.com>
wrote:

> On Mon,8/18/2014 9:51 AM, Mike Bryce wrote:
>
>> remove and then plug back in connectors
>>
>
> This is good advice.
>
> Other thoughts. The antenna described probably won't work very well on
> 160M -- very high SWR, difficult to tune, even with a very good tuner, and
> a dipole lower than about 150 ft is a low dipole on 160M. :) Low means lots
> of ground loss and weak high angle radiation. Been there, done that.
>
> What works MUCH better is to tie both sides of the feedline together if
> it's fed with some form of twin lead, or the shield if it's coax, and load
> it as a long wire against whatever counterpoise is available. In Chicago, I
> used a wrought iron fence that ran around my front yard. I didn't work a
> lot of DX, but I did OK in the US and VE. Warning -- do NOT try this if
> there's a common mode choke at the feedpoint -- it is quite likely that it
> will fry.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
>
>
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