[CQ-Contest] 160 metres

[Leigh S. Jones]

For transmitting your wisest choice will probably be a variation on an
inverted-L top loaded vertical.  Horizontal antennas are not of much
use unless you can get one up around 200 feet high.  The inverted-L
is basically a top loaded vertical.

The best one I ever put up was a one-weekend wonder that was
erected in the mid 70's.  I put a 30' telescoping television mast out
the
top of the mast on my tower.  The top of the television mast was
almost 90 feet high.  There I hung an insulator.  A vertical wire went
from the ground to the insulator, and another approximately 80 feet
of wire ran downward from the apex at a mild slope, tied to a long
piece of rope, around 160 feet of rope and wire together in the "flat
top".  It fit my property; you need to fit yours.  I ran 4 elevated
radials -- ~6 feet up at the center point and grounded at the corners
of
the property.  I fed the antenna with 50 ohm coax through a big 400
pF fixed capacitor and trimmed the end of the flat top to resonance
(as I remember, I only cut a few feet off as it was already very close
to resonance).  It wouldn't have lasted through a mild breeze, but it
did survive two nights of the ARRL 160M contest.  I ran ~100W
output from a Drake R4A/T4X pair and received numerous unreadable
calls through the entire contest period.  These days you'd need more
power and a better receiving antenna to be satisfied, but in those
days
a KW was only allowed on 160M during the day.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Nichols" <snichols at mvosprey.com>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 10:42 AM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] 160 metres


> Hi all...
>
> Need some advice please...
>
> I want to boost my antenna effeiciency on 160 metres...Not hard I
guess,
> as right now I only use an 80 m inverted V half wave dipole with a
> reluctant tuner!!
>
> What is a relatively good working practical antenna for 160 metre
> contesting use ? I can likely string up a half wave dipole, but it
will
> not be totally straight or flat...Probably more of a sloping V from
the
> top of my 50 foot tower...Are these any good or am I wasting my
time?
>
> What about a vertical ?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Scott VE1OP
>
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