Topband: Time for a receiving antenna

[Gary Smith]

Hi,

Before the fall weather makes working on antennas impossible I should 
have something for 160 as regards reception. Station is an Omni V & 
Titan 425. For 80M & up is a Butternut HF9V with 13 radials; it is 
elevated and the radials are within arms reach of the ground at the 
lowest points. For 160 it is 120 feet of telephone drop line over the 
tallest tree and 4 radials 110 feet long and lying on the ground. It 
is fed to the tuned as a random wire. 

The butternut is in the middle of the back lawn and is in the best 
place to get radials out; it does however fill up the open air back 
there. The perimeter is forest.

150 feet due west is a salt marsh that doesn't look like I'll be able 
to get through to plant the end of a beverage as there are several 
drainage ditches in it and it is filled with marsh reeds 10-15 feet 
high. North-West I have perhaps 400 feet of forest but at the end of 
that is the electric train Amtrak uses between Boston & New York and 
to the south is a bed of RFI thanks to rfi generating dog fences and 
well, civilization.

To make a receiving antenna I've got perhaps 600 feet of the 
telephone drop line and perhaps 250 feet of 75 ohm CATV line that I 
found on the side of the road on Rt 95; info to that here 
http://docs.commscope.com/Public/F6SSVV.pdf I also have perhaps 1,000 
feet of 4 strand telephone wire. 

I also have an Ameco PT-3 Preamp and an Autek QF-1A

I would like to work DX and I apparently have a relatively decent 
signal as I contacted a fair amnt. of DX but but I'm really on the 
loosing end as comes to hearing with this antenna.

I've been trying to decide on what receiving antenna to make but I 
really can't decide, I've never made one for listening. Given what I 
have to work with I'd appreciate your thoughts on what would be my 
best choice.

Thanks

Gary
KA1J