[TenTec] 160 Meter Problem

[Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP]

Jim (A), I strongly agree with Jim (B).

I ran an 80m dipole fed with openwire for the better part of 50 years, in at
least 10 different QTHs.
I used it on 80 and 40, and sometimes when I had nothing better, also on the
higher bands.

I spent a lot of money on a 160m symmetric matchbox so that I could match it
on that band, but I could hardly work across town with it.  The dipole was
always around 40 ft.

In several of those years I managed to put up a full size dipole on 160m but
never high enough.
It was, in a word, crap.  Useless for a dx contest.  Worked out to a couple
hundred miles.

Then about 20 years ago I began doing as Jim (B) says, simply connecting
both wires together and feeding through a normal asymmetrical matchbox (like
a T-Network or L-Network).  As counterpoise, I used whatever I happened to
have at each QTH.  Most of the time I also had an openwire fed vertical
dipole, so I simply connected both of its feedline wires together and
connected it to the chassis of the matchbox using its feedline and the
vertical as the counterpoise.  It was a lousy counterpoise but better than
nothing.

On average I would work 30 to 35 countries with this setup, whereas when
trying to run it as a dipole, properly matched with a symmetrical tuner, I
was lucky to manage 10 countries.

And to put that into perspective, when I later built a proper inverted-L for
160, but with just one or two elevated radials, I managed about 50 countries
on that band in contests.  I have never personally had a better antenna than
that at my own QTH.  But I can say how these three antennas compare because
I have tried them all several times at different QTH's.

As Jim (B) says, "everything works" but some things work a lot better than
others.

*** You are wasting your time trying to match it as a dipole! ***

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt am Main)


-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jim Brown
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2014 7:33 PM
To: tentec at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] 160 Meter Problem

On Mon,8/18/2014 10:17 AM, Jim Allen wrote:
> It is this uncertainty that keeps us trying things experts say won't work.
> Sometimes they don't, but other times, they work OK.

As N6BT has said, "everything works" -- the difference is how WELL it works.
To prove his point, he worked all continents on a light bulb. :) I've worked
at least 130 counties QRP with good antennas, most confirmed by LOTW. 1.5 kW
works BETTER. :)

Your antenna work work best (you'll be louder) on 160M fed as a long wire
against a counterpoise. Just be sure to take the "balun" out of the system
when you do it. It also might work better on 80M fed that way. My 80M dipole
in Chicago did, and it was 40 ft high on one end and 30 ft high on the
other.

73, Jim K9YC
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