Okay... great responses all. Here's what I think I'm gonna do...
I'll go vertical with an inverted L. I'm thinking to be resonant around
1.825MHz, I'll need about 128.2' of wire. I'll go up about 70'... then the
rest will be almost exactly horizontal. I'll go with at least a dozen
elevated radials about 134.8' long. I'll terminate those at a post where
I'll have an insulator for the "driven element" and one where the radials
terminate. I'll stick an SO-239 there to make things easy. I figure this
should be resonant at the chosen frequency.
Later, I'll put up at least one beverage antenna for receive (but there's no
way I'll have a chance to do that initially). Does that sound reasonable as
a starting position?
Thanks to all who talked me out of the B&W Folded Dipole.
Mike, WA9PIE
-----Original Message-----
From: topband-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com]
On Behalf Of Michael G. Carper
Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2011 11:06 PM
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: New entry to TopBand with antenna question
Hey folks.
I've been a ham for 37 years, but I've spent my entire ham "career" on
80-10m (with the exception of 7 countries worked on 160m about ten years
ago). For the most part, the same obstacle has kept me off TopBand that
prevents most - antenna space.
Now that I've made DXCC on all bands 80-10m (and very close on 6m). and
since we've recently moved to a place with 7-acres and a nice tall
tree-line, I figure my options for 160m are better. That said - we're
leasing this place and I've probably got 2-years here.
My goal is simple - make DXCC on 160m within the next 2 years.
So I'm looking for some advice about the antenna.
I'm very tempted to buy a B&W folded dipole and call it done. but I'm
curious about what others are doing. I've got an amplifier, but no
high-power tuner. So I want to avoid a tuner - the folded dipole seems to
get me there and I can put it up at 70' or so in the elm trees.
Thoughts?
Mike, WA9PIE
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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