Topband: RX antenna testing

[Cecil Acuff]

Group,

I started the testing last night of a dedicated RX antenna for 160 I 
completed yesterday.  Could find no activity on the band after sunset here 
except some SSB ragchew.  Rolled out this morning at 10:20 UTC to hopefully 
find some DX targets to test.  All that was heard was N7UA working a UA. 
Was able to hear the UA for a short time.  Then heard him work what sounded 
like a FO....didn't get all of it (static) and could not hear the DX at any 
point on the compass.

The antenna is a 20' 1/2" Heliax loop at ground level on a rotor with an 
I.C.E preamp in the shack.  Not really sure the preamp is needed....maybe 
only 8 or 10 db tops.  Not having a good reference antenna for 160 doesn't 
help in the evaluation but I didn't find the loop to hear anything my 
Carolina Windom short 80 didn't hear...except I am able to null some man 
made interference at times.  The Windom won't tune on 160 TX.  So I expect 
it's far from optimum even for RX on 160.  The loop did have a slight S/N 
advantage but that depended on the preamp settings.

I expected a larger difference in signal to noise ratio than was realized. 
My noise was mostly atmospheric but I did notice for the first time my 
computer generating noise at three points on the dial.  Shut it down and it 
cleaned right up.  Static and atmospheric noise was peaking S-5.  N7UA was 
well above that at 10:45 UTC but had faded down into the noise by 11:45 UTC 
just after my sun up.

I hope to hear that this morning was just a bad morning for propagation all 
around.

More testing is definitely in order.

Wish I had room for a beverage farm but at this point I do not...that may 
change in the next few years though...

Will be looking at the flag as well.  No transmit antenna yet....that's 
next!

73

Cecil Acuff
K5DL