[SCCC] 160m Antennas

Tue Feb 20 13:32:02 EST 2018

I'm using "4) Inverted-L with the top at 55ft, and the far end on a 40ft pole." except in my case it's 50' top with horizontal end going NE over front of my single story house and tied off to ground level nearly at the side walk.
As Bruce requested, my lot is 70' wide and 100' long. My radials are just eight 1/8 wave 14 awg thhn wires with four going off to either side of my house and then wrapping along the perimeter to the east. 
I'm lazy here... but my wife is pretty awesome about things and with all the concrete slabs in the back I am not going to trench underneath on this antenna. For me it's all about points... so it's just not worth what I know would be best for efficiency and end score (except obviously in a 160 only contest).
Now what I would like to really mention as something both Bruce and Bill might want to try...
Bob, N6TV, turned me on to VE3DO's RX Loop design when we were discussing an RX antenna for my skimmer. I ended up building one as per K9YC's excellent powerpoint. I have been so happy to have it! Not only is it a great all band skimmer RX antenna, but I have it split over to my left K3's RX input. I have found that I hear SO much better with that loop running East/West with it's front pointing east.

 I'm going to build a second one to run North/South and bring it in on an A/B switch to my left K3 so as to get some additionally nulling as needed based on where the signal is coming from.
 http://audiosystemsgroup.com/VE3DO.pdf
This loop is so much better than a previous active round magnetic loop that I had tried in 2012 for both the skimmer and 160m RX input. I believe only beverages are better, but I just don't have the lot size.

73,
Tim / N6WIN.

    On Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 3:35:11 AM PST, W6PH via SCCC <sccc at contesting.com> wrote:  

 I have used both number 3 and number 6.  Number six (base at ground level) is good if you can get a good ground screen.  Mine is very marginal.  I have had very good luck with number 3 below a 40-2CD or 3 el 20m yagi on a 60 ft AB-577.  The beauty of this option is that no radials are needed and the radiating part of the antenna is high.  I used an air wound coil (Airdux) of known inductance and a given length of wire (65 feet) and inserted those values into the graph in the Sep 74 QST article of "Off Center Loaded Dipoles" to determine the placement of the coil.  From memory it turned out to be located about 27 feet from the feedpoint with 37 feet of wire beyond the coil.  The minimum SWR was around 1.4 and the bandwidth was from 1803 to 1855 for 2 to 1.  My Expert 1.3K handles it well with the built in antenna tuner.  I have worked about 60 countries mostly in the CQWW DX contests and ARRL 160 contests.  It is a keeper.  I have the MA160V laying on the ground in case I need a backup.  It is a good antenna but I like the sloper better.

73, Kurt W6PH

In a message dated 2/19/2018 3:40:10 PM Pacific Standard Time, bhorn at hornucopia.com writes:

 Hi Bill, I'm also interested in the answers to your question, but everything needs to fit on a 50 x 125 lot with a house and detached garage. What are you and others using for a ground system? 73 de Bruce, WA7BNM (bhorn at hornucopia.com) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Shell N6WS" <n6ws at n6ws.com> To: "SCCC Reflector" <sccc at contesting.com> Cc: "Bill Kendrick - N6RV" <kendrick.w at ca.rr.com> Sent: Monday, February 19, 2018 10:58:48 AM Subject: [SCCC] 160m Antennas Hello All, I am wondering what type of antenna everyone is using on 160m. The 160m antennas I have used has changed several times through the years.  In the order of my changes through the years, I have used: 1) Half-wave inverted-V mounted at 55ft. 2) Base loaded vertical about 30ft tall. 3) Center loaded (L) half-sloper fed at 55ft (overall about 70ft long). 4) Inverted-L with the top at 55ft, and the far end on a 40ft pole. 5) Full Quarter-wave sloper at fed at 40ft. 6) Cushcraft MA160V 36ft vertical, elevated 5ft. With each change of antennas, I saw what I thought was an improvement in performance on 160m.  The last change to the Cushcraft vertical really motivated me to see what I could do to improve my 160m performance.  I have only had the vertical up and operating for the last two weeks, but since the change to this antenna I have been hearing and working European stations almost every evening.  I think the vertical helped in the ARRL CW Contest working the Caribbean, South America, and Asia.  The only EU and AF stations I worked in the contest were CU and EA8, but I didn't have to struggle in the pileups.  Because of this new antenna I have been spending more time on 160m, which may account for my presence on the band during the chance openings, but whatever the reason, I'm enthused about working DX on 160m. Because of this increased enthusiasm in working DX on 160m, I want to try phased verticals.  I ordered a second MA160V which I will space 120ft from the first, and phase them with the broadside to EU.  This will also give me end-fire cardioid patterns to South America and Asia.  I am hoping this will improve my ability to work DX during the upcoming sunspot minimum. I guess I should add information on my equipment inside the shack.  I use a Yaesu FTDX5000MP and an Expert 2K-FA.  Another piece of equipment I sometimes find helpful on 160m is the MFJ-1026 Noise Canceller. Ok, that outlines my experiences and near term antenna plan with operating on 160m.  What I am curious about is what others are using on 160m, and their possible experience with other types of antennas. So, my question is, what antenna(s) are you using on 160m, and if you had the resources (land & dollars) what would you migrate to to improve your Contesting and DXing on 160m? TU es 73, Bill N6WS _______________________________________________ SCCC mailing list SCCC at contesting.comhttp://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/sccc _______________________________________________ SCCC mailing list SCCC at contesting.comhttp://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/sccc
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