Topband: ewe

[by way of Bill Tippett <btippett@alum.mit.edu>]

Hi Bill,

I tuned up my 10-50-10 EWEs by listening to BCB stations that
are at least 100 miles distant.  I used a battery operated
"communications receiver" connected to the transmission
line transformer with a short length of coax and I connected the
headphones to the radio with a long length of "bell" (twisted pair)
wire while adjusting the terminating resistor.  If you try that, 
use a "long" length of the "bell" wire and avoid placing it directly
under the horizontal part of the EWE....off to the side somewhere
is best....one could also use a audio level meter and speaker,
and view the meter with binoculars while adjusting.  One could
also use a long length of coax and have the receiver right at the
null adjustment site. 

To tune the directions I wanted to null out, I first got a list of
AM stations and the Lat/Lon of their transmitters, power level,
etc all within 250 miles of my QTH.  Then I selected various
stations that were within +- 30 degree arc off the BACK of my
EWEs.  With a list of "good" stations, I made sure I could first
hear the chosen stations on my radio connected to the
main transmitting antenna, deleting those that I couldn't hear.

So, armed with a good station list and their directions I made
the null adjustments and in most cases I was able to completely
null out a station received from the back side.  The preferred 
stations were on the upper part of the AM BC band.

I found a station list on a FCC web site quite some time ago
and have since lost the web address.  Try a search on Google
and see what comes up, or ask some fellow top banders.

If you have difficulty getting a null you might try a wide range
carbon pot (if you haven't tried that already), say 2K, and
make sure that your EWE has good (and stable) ground
connections. 

73,
Charlie, N0TT