TopBand: 160M Shunt Fed Towers

[Richard Zwirko]

Hi Chuck,
  Sound like you are doing quite well with the system as it is now.
I am also faced with the small yard problem and also shunt feed the
tower which is full of HF, VHF & UHF antennas.  I would recommend
increasing your present three 60' ground wires to as many as you
can, even if they are short. My ground system consists of three 8'
ground rods, one tied to each leg, plus tied to each other in a triangle
by 3/4" copper pipe. There are 16, mostly short (1/8 wave) radials
which head towards the property lines then dog leg to stay on the yard.
A few radials arc around the sides of the house.  The shunt is made of
scrap 3/4" CATV hard line about 12" outside the tower.  For about 95% of
the 160M countries worked, the tower was used on receive. The 5 EWE's,
also in the back yard, rarely perform well enough to be useful, probably
because of the close proximity to the tower. Will have to try a pennant
or flag some day.

But just as you and a number of others have found out, having the
restrictions of a small yard doesn't mean you can't work lots of DX 
on the Top Band.  I've managed to run the 160M country totals to
169 with 100 Watts and 71 countries with QRP 5 Watts (VK6 is best QRP DX).
If you can't increase the vertical height of the your tower, then it
looks like improving your ground may be the only way to go. GL.
73 de Rich - K1HTV
dz@voa.gov
-- 
Richard Zwirko (VOA/BBOM) - K1HTV                         Voice of America    
Wilbur J. Cohen Building, Room 2165                      Technical Support 
Washington, DC 20547                              Broadcast Operations Div. 
dz@VOA.GOV                                                 +1 202-619-1314


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