Thanks Mike N2GC and you're very welcome.
Many replies direct and a few CC'd to the reflector. Even though stated I know
about verticals and L's some still wanted to steer me in that direction
regardless(hi hi). I should've (maybe) given the full story but it always
confuses a few.....sooooo, here goes. This BACK UP antenna needs to be
horizontal. It's for Radio #2 which (at present) only has a modded ZS6BKW
(horizontal). It's a backup antenna only. If my primary inverted L (or my
2-el 160m array, when I get it repaired agn) goes down, this will enable me to
at least nab a few 160m mults on the 2nd radio. That's the plan anyways.
I kicked myself (hard) late Saturday night for not having SOMETHING else I
could instantly employ on 160m when my inverted L opened up somewhere in the
transmission line as I lost maybe 40,000+ pts(?) in the NAQP CW and while a
(potential) score of 300k doesn't sound like much, from here in NB with just
really low wires on 2 acres, it's a personal goal I've been chasing since the
90's. It's hard enough in the NAQP's and the Sprints to make a respectable
score from the NE (K1LZ & VY2TT's stns are another operating at a much higher
level) so I continue to chase the magic 300k.
All my radio #1 antennas are verticals (or arrays of verts)_whereas radio #2
antennas is/are horizontal.
I have no bandpass filters here.....all isolation is done by the 20_dB of
horizontal vs. vertical polarization loss differences and physical separation.
So....as much as some of you want me to put up a vertical (of some kind), I
have 2 acres of them and very much understand the benefits---especially on
160m. This will be a backup antenna only and *must* be horizontal.
Having never used a low 160m dple I was really just after info on how poorly it
may perform. Maybe not quite as bad as I had envisioned, but still nowhere as
good as a vertical - I get it, I really do ! (and I am enjoying hearing about
all your successes with them), which should be shared with the group.
73 and CU (all of a sudden!) with a weak signal, from NB
Mike VE9AA
Keswick Ridge, NB, Canada
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike N2GC [mailto:n2gc@aol.com]
Sent: January 13, 2025 4:30 PM
To: Mike Smith VE9AA
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Low 160m antenna as a backup- Can I make Q's?
Hi Mike,
I used to have a low bent 160 dipole that I was able to work VP8ORK with. The
center 140 feet was up about 30’ and the ends were bent at 90* and sloped down
to about 15’ off the ground.
I am now using a K2KQ double L at 50’ which works better as it is vertically
polarized and doesn’t require radials.
Thanks for all the NAQP QSO’s
73,
Mike N2GC
> On Jan 13, 2025, at 11:56 AM, Mike Smith VE9AA <ve9aa@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:
>
> So, this past weekend I pretty much got skunked on Topband as my 160m
> inverted L died after the first QSO in the NAQP CW contest and I had no 160m
> backup antenna.(only band I don't currently have a backup for). I was on
> track to finally crack 300k in this one but Murphy got me.
>
>
>
> About the only thing I would be able to manage as a "backup" antenna here is
> a slightly ends-bent horizontal dipole, but only up 25' (that's roughly like
> having a 20m dipole up ~3.3' if I've done my math correctly.)
>
>
>
> Has anyone used a low 160m dipole at only 25'?
>
>
>
> W's/VE's: Have you worked coast to coast (NA) or any DX with it?
>
> EU's: Have you worked any VE1's/W1's with it?
>
>
>
> ARRL DX CW is coming up and while I do have my 160m L fixed I am still
> vulnerable on this band if it goes south again.
>
>
>
> I know all about verticals, inverted L's etc. I have a yard chock full of
> them. I have terrible soil conductivity here, but am at pretty good height
> ASL, so do "OK" on VHF/HF.
>
>
>
> My specific question is for a low (cloud warmer) dipole on Topband just to
> work some mults in some of the major contests.
>
> If it loads on other bands, that would be a bonus, but as I've never had
> one, I'd also welcome that info.
>
>
>
> Tnx All!
>
>
>
> CU (all of a sudden!) in the next one.
>
>
>
> Mike VE9AA "NB"
>
>
>
> Mike - Keswick Ridge, NB, Canada
>
>
>
>
>
> Mike - Keswick Ridge, NB, Canada
>
>
>
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