Topband: 160M Friday Evening, Etc.

[Robin]

HI Charlie

DON'T give up!

The low receiving dipole may very well do you some good.  I have found that 
it really wants to be full size but that its far less critical about most 
other things.  I ran it through the trees just by throwing the wire over a 
branch because that was expedient for a DXP install.  I think I would 
suspend the wire from some form of insulator in a more permanent 
installation.  I also think it will do just fine hanging off the side of 
palm trees..  It doesn't need to be perfectly straight either.  I would not 
be surprised at good results with the dipole in a wide Vee configuration. 
The ones I have used have all been between 2.5 and 5 meters above ground. 
I do NOT recommend any higher.  If you have a choice, I think putting it at 
about 3 to 3.5 meters gives the best compromise between desired antenna 
height  (1.5 to 2.5 M), and having it high enough for people and even 
normal vehicles ( or horses, but I dont think you have any there).  We have 
fed these antennas with regular TV coax, sometimes with a transformer, most 
times not.

If you have wire, coax and rope/twine, you have everything you need to 
construct a test antenna.. no need for fancy hardware

When you listen on it before signals show up, it will sound noisier than 
the other antennas- mostly because it collects quite a bit more of the 
field energy than a shortened antenna...  but I think it will surprise you 
and hear signals well... or at least better than the classic small "low 
noise' antennas.  On my trips, it has steadily outperformed other receive 
antennas, including beverages approaching: "standard".  If your location is 
clear of daytime noise, I would expect this antenna to work best in the 
first hour or two at sunset, and then a classic beverage might do better, 
based on our experiences at XZ0A/XZ1N

Try one- even a simple temporary install, and give it a few days to 
evaluate.. conditions vary enough on this magic band that it may be hard to 
tell in one night... altho the difference at XZ0A was quite dramatic and 
immediate, that was near the solar high, and the propagation mode was 
anything but standard.

I am not sure it will help with static crashes, but it may well bring the 
desired signals enough out of the background noise to help, and your TS930 
with the AGC OFF may help with that.

try it and let us all know how it works for you

73

Robin, WA6CDR, HS0ZFT
HS72B/ZA1A/XZ0A/XZ1N


From: "charles Lewis" <s9ss160m at yahoo.com>
To: <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2005 08:37
Subject: Topband: 160M Friday Evening, Etc.
Snip
> The 160M band has seemed to be even noisier (QRN) here this year than 
> last year. So far, I have had only very limited success, even with 
> Europe. Most nights I can hear nothing except severe noise.
Snip>
> Most of the stations I worked that night were only copyable through the 
> high noise on the pennant, which with its broad pattern does well also 
> for Europe even though it is aimed at the USA.  I was alternating between 
> it and my transmitting antenna for reception.  The pennant has definitley 
> been an asset.  Thanks to all those who helped me with it.
>
> Based on accounts I have read here recently, I would like to try a low 
> half wave dipole for reception.  I'm still trying to figure out where I 
> can hang it.  Also, I will have to order some materials before I can 
> build it.
SNip
> I was dismayed to observe back in late November how much better 
> DXpeditioner Pertti, OH2PM, when operating as S9BB and S9A could hear 
> 160M signals from his seaside location near the northern side of the 
> island. He was working many stations that I could not even hear in the 
> QRN (not VOA QRM).  I am also located by the sea, but I am around the 
> eastern side of the island.  That places several miles of lossy ground 
> between my QTH and the USA and Western Europe.  I had a much better 
> location back in my days as S92SS when I lived in the town of Sao Tome.