TopBand: XE1UFO a total FLOP!! PSE HELP!!!

[Dr. Stephen Andrew Wilson]

Dear Co-Topband addicts,

My 160-meter tryout was a dismal failure.  S35 noise level made copy
impossible.

I wish to try the Pennant antenna, to see if I can overcome this problem.
Can anyone 
tell me:

1)What the aperture on sush an antenna might be?  My lot is 10 meters wide
by 
52 meters long. Can I get by with 4, 1 in each compass direction?  What if
I built
one and placed it above my Cushcraft A3S at 50 feet and rotate it?  (Yes,
I'm crazy
enough to try, if anyone thinks it will work!!) 

2) If this short of a version covers 160-40 well, would one double length
or even quad length 
Pennant improve things (in my E-W direction) to any extent?

3) I tried my small linear.  My ground system is just one radial and the
copper house
tubing, which runes the full length of my property (52 meters).  However,
the linear
is sparking like crazy.  Does this mean my ground is not functioning?

4) Would there be anyone on the list who could sell me a few torroid cores
for winding
the xformers?  Or can I use th type typically found in a PC computer
switching power supply?

Sorry for so many questions.  I am also planning to go to the Secretariat
of Comms this week
and get my Class one so I can upgrade to a kilowatt.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Stephen Wilson 


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