Hello - I am new to the list.
Since finishing the ARRL 160 contest this morning, I have been
giving more thought to building a low-noise receiving antenna.
Although I have about 1/2-acre backyard, it is pretty well
occupied by my 160-meter top-loaded vertical, and the radial
system. Because of the limited space there isn't any room for a
more desirable receiving antennas such as a Beverage.
Having read favorable reviews on pennant antennas, they were a
consideration until I recently read that they become ineffective
when placed in close proximity of a "noisy" vertical. If I am
not mistaken, the pennants work on the same principles as the
K9AY loop. So that probably isn't in the picture as well.
There are two antennas that have caught my attention, and I would
be interested in hearing the opinions of the list. First, there's
K6STI's horizontal loop that was featured in QST, a few years ago
(9/95). Right now, I would say that it holds the most promise for
my limited area. Second, there is an antenna that appeared in Ham
Radio Magazine, back in May 1985. It is a transmission line
antenna for 160 meters that was developed by Ted Rappaport, N9NB,
while at Purdue University (he now has a Ph.D. in Electrical
Engineering). Though the antenna was intended as transmit/receive
antenna, he mentions that the antenna exhibited very low noise
performance.
If anyone has any experience with either of these two antennas, I
would appreciate hearing about it. Also, if anyone has any other
ideas, I would like to hear about them as well.
Best Regards, Thomas - AC7A (Tucson)
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