Topband: Remote Controled QTH

[Jarda Semotan]

Hello, 
first of all thanks to Tom NI1N and Joe K4IK for information which SteppIR antennas used as capacity hat of shunt fed towers are concerned. I jumped into the discussion but because of being a new member of the TopBand Digest chatbox would be fairness to introduce myself being short.
I started on TopBand in 1964 already but it was a quite different band that time. The wistful start 160m activity was abt 15 years ago. As everybody else on this band, first plus minus 200 DXCC countries, was made on vertical but reception problems forced me to experiment with several sorts of RX antennas like one direction short Beverage, EWE, slopers, and most successful that time were the K9AY loops. I am living outskirts of capital Prague in luxury area and limited space with of course.
I have found during a years that QRM from capital has moved more into my QTH ( higher noise level on the background ) and my home QTH space is not large enough to allow me go on forward on the TopBand. I do hope every topbander agree with me that to hear well is principal on this band and be heard is following one.
All the findings above drove me to the idea of a remote controlled QTH for reception only.I have worked for over 3 years on this project and after 2 topband seasons experiences I am daring  apprise of the results of remote QTH running topband hobbyists.
I decided based on knowledge of others, ON4UN mainly, that Beverage would be the best antenna for reception on low bands. I had in use 2el.yagi 80m M2 at 42 mtrs for years and one worked super nevertheless did not solve 160m reception problem. The Beverages antenna I thought would solve both bands reception. But Beverage antennas system needs a lot of space. So first step was to find  
a suitable space for Beverage antennas field and I have now 20ha area in use. 
I found one abt. 40 km away from my QTH, it is very flat top hill, very poor soil conductivity, sighting 320km around as comes out from the digital map calculation. 
Connection with home QTH.
I solved the matter thanks to Laurent F6DEX cooperation on this field and his software TRX Manager. I let built there an Internet connection TCP/IP 1024kbit/s and put there needed hardware like PC, interfaces for antenna switching, TCVR IC756PRO2, buried 500m long line to the hill top where the hardware is situated and several month driving there and back to tune up this connectivity and whole reception system.
Antennas:
As main configuration there are 6 x Beverage 356m C.O.S. long in star configuration for every 60 degree around. All Beverages come out from one point-not one point together but spread in 20m circle joint into a hardware and software control center, situated on the only top of hill. This 6 Beverages are whole year direction fixed at 4m high. This allow to agriculture till the soil without problem in their season. Thanks to sloping hill F/B rate is unbelievable sometimes 65dB ( mean between opposites Beverages measured on local source )
During our topband season there are another 5 to 6 Beverages, some of them as phased with fixed Beverages in 80m space between ( I can select remotely 1 basic, 2 phased, 3 phased ) and another are accidental like Beverage aimed at 3Y0X is 720m long just now.
 I do not want to bore you more but I would like to say that this project is the most effective one in my 40years hamradio life. Well done Beverages in good location listen better than 2el. yagi on 80mtrs.
Yes, for some directions 356m long Beverages on 80mtrs seemed to me very narrow. The same experience is with phased Beverages on topband.
 I would like to believe that the brief introduction of my antenna system for reception on topband could inspire some other topband fanatics.
Next step would be, maybe the transmitting improvement as I feel that my Henry xK is not enough.
73 to all boomers

Jarda, OK1RD and also T30R,T32RD,T33RD,J8OK,KP2/.....,3B8/.... etc.

PS.: Do not try to use QTH devoted for reception for transmitting too. I build TX antenna there and fully destroyed calm reception in whole area. Well done Beverages are very very sensitive for any vertical hardware re-radiation surprised?