Topband: 160 vertical antennas (also, K9AY loop improvement)

[steve d]

Hi everyone, I spent about 4 hours the other day trying to fix my K9AY loop system. I eneded up completely re-wiring my relay box as I was getting some funky readings on the loop terminals. Now that everything is wired properly it seems to be hooked up right. I switched the first half of my feedline to another one I had and it seems to pick up MUCH less noise. 
   
  The termination resistance must not be correct because I am not seeing a significant drop in signal strength off the back, so I took out the 600 ohm resistor series and placed my pot back in there. Since I am running a Kenwood TS-2000 I got out my HT this evening and cross-banded the rx on 160 to 2 meters so I could go outside and adjust the pot and listen to the radio at the same time HIHI (the TS-2000 is GREAT for that!!!). However, the pot must have gone bad because I wasnt seeing any difference in the rx and when I measured it I wasnt getting good readings so I will need to replace it and see what happens. Hopefully I can get this to work!!! 
   
  OK, on to the meat of this post. I was trying to work a sked this evening with NE9Z and I could barely hear him in the noise and he could barely hear me. I have been thinking of putting up a vertical for transmitting on (mostly, probably will use it for rx a little also). My original plan was to use 130 feet or so of aluminum military tent poles, at $3.50 each thats not a bad deal. However, it is going to be a problem getting them up THAT HIGH!! Is there a way I can make a vertical antenna using the same poles, only about 60-70 feet tall? I was thinking about using some kind of cap hat. I would like to feed it with ballanced line and go through a tuner. Since the ballanced line has less loss than coax, especially at high SWR, I will probably be able to tune the rest of the bands with the same antenna. Have any of you assembled such a short vertical for 160? Are there any suggestions you guys have in terms of an efficient, low angle design? I am just looking for something th
 at is
 going to put out a bigger, lower angle signal than my 30 foot G5RV.Even some kind of inverted L using those poles as a vertical element (although the horizonal portion is going to be slanted down for sure).
   
  Thanks for anyones help in advance, 
  Steve, KC8QVO

		
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