Topband: VK0M on 160m

[Steve Ireland]

Ooops, I should have said the FCP would 66-feet long - bad case of brain
fade late in the day... ;-)

 

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Hi Allan

 

In the past I am pretty sure the radio amateurs who have taken up the radio
technician position on Macquarie Island have had some access to the
commercial antennas used on the island and used them on 160m.  My memory
(which isn't always good) is that there is an HF rhombic, which has been
loaded up on 160m as an end-fed wire type antenna.

 

In the past, the problem seems to have been for the operator to find time to
actually operate ham radio much.  My impression is that the job is really
full-on.

 

If your friend can get hold of a Spiderbeam 17m fiberglass telescoping pole
to take with him, then that could support an quarter wave inverted-L
antenna, with a sloping top.  If someone could make up a K2AV folded
counterpoise (and matching transformer) that could be rolled up and also
taken with him, then the operator would have a fair 160m signal.  As the FCP
would only be 33 feet long, ANARE may let him put this up? 

 

I guess if there are enough amateurs who were interested in 160m operation
from VK0M and everyone put in a few dollars each, so these items could be
purchased for your friend to take with him, that may be worth a go.

 

Vy 73

 

Steve, VK6VZ