Tom,
I am not an antenna expert, but on 160M there seems to be quite a few guys
using Inverted Ls. I will say that 80 ft is pretty low for any type of
dipole on 80 meters (at least for a low angle of radiation).
The only dipole I have at my QTH is for 80 meters; but it is a whopping 10
ft in the air. Obviously, it is a NVIS antenna; so it has a very high
angle of radiation. A couple of years ago I strung a dipole for 60 meters
between two towers; it was about 60 or 70 ft up, and I was not happy with
the results. I took it down about a year and a half ago and erected a
vertical, and it seems to work much better (at least on contacts over longer
distances).
Have you considered a vertical at your QTH? You will most certainly achieve
the low angle of radiation you desire for the DXing. I (and quite a few
others) use verticals on 80 and 160. The trick is you have to take the time
to string out a bunch of radials (60 or more); OR, 2 or 4 (90 degrees apart)
tuned elevated radials work just as well ( basically a tuned dipole). The
easiest way to do it is with a couple of 10 ft PVC pipes over fence posts.
The "center" of the dipole is located at the base of the vertical, then
slope up at about a 45 degree angle to a 10 PVC pipe. The rest of the dipole
is at 10 ft and terminates at another PVC pipe. Before hooking the two ends
to the bottom of the vertical, tune the two legs as a dipole for the
operating freq (if you use 4 elevated radials, do the same for the other
two).
Good luck
Dick K8ZTT
-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Tom Osborne
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 10:23 AM
To: Towertalk
Subject: [TowerTalk] 80 meter antenna
Hi All
Right now I have an 80 meter inverted 'V' up about 80 feet or so in a tree.
It seems to work OK. The problem is, the way it is set up, the 2 ends of
the antenna are only about 30 feet apart, kind of like a V-beam.
Is there a way to orient it different that would work better.
I could set it up as an inverted 'L' and feed it in the center, or as a 'C',
with the center part vertical and the ends horizontal. Would any of these
be better than what I have now.
Main interests on 80 meters are contesting and working DX.
No modeling software here. Thanks and 73 Tom W7WHY
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