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[Towertalk] 160 Meter antenna

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Subject: [Towertalk] 160 Meter antenna
From: djl@andlev.com (Dan Levin)
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 20:14:25 -0800
I think the answer is highly dependent on your station's geography and
configuration.  A couple of possible answers.

1) For close in, 'domestic' stuff, an inverted V works fine.  I use one with
its apex at 65' for NAQP e.g., and can work out to Wyoming and Arizona (from
San Francisco) with 100 watts.  Basically, this is a crappy, but easy to
install, antenna.

2) Next step up, I think, is an inverted L.  Get the corner up as high as
you can, and feed it against as big a ground system as you can.  You can use
2 elevated radials if necessary, but keep them at least 15' above the
ground.

3) My favorite design, which to be fair and honest I should say I have never
actually implemented, is a capacity hat shortened 1/4 wave vertical.  Using
a cheap commercially available 50' push-up mast and a simple aluminum tubing
'stinger', you can get 70' of height pretty easily.  Use wire for the first
45' or so of the top set of guys (3), and you have a very nice capacity hat
loaded vertical.  A beta coil will match it to 50 ohms, and away you go.  As
always, you need a good ground system for this to work.  This antenna will
have all of its radiation vertically polarized, which is best for 'DX' type
communications on 160.

Cavaet Emptor.  I am not a 160 guy.

            ***dan, K6IF


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