Topband: Toward better antennas

[Bill Cromwell]

Hi,

My initial effort at getting "something...anything" up for an antenna
has produced mediocre results - as expected. Maybe a little more
mediocre than I was hoping for. I can hear with it pretty well. It's
just a big, end fed wire too close to the ground... about 20 feet up
with a counterpoise wire. I can probably do some trimming and tuning to
get some modest improvements. My plan though is to use it as-is on
160-80-40-30 while I put up something better.

On my small lot I can accommodate a K9AY loop antenna system. There may
be differing opinions (supported by hard numbers) about better antennas
but there are NO beverages nor *large* antennas in my future. One of the
first things I noticed is the K9AY loop is a receiving antenna (that
puny terminating resistor). That will leave me with the need for yet
another 160 meter antenna to use for transmitting. I can get some kind
of a vertical up but the size of my lot is a factor. The public safety
people will want it able to fall and not damage the neighbor's house. I
can easily do something around 40 feet and I can get some radials down.
In some directions they will have to be shorter than in other directions
(boundary lines ya know). 40 feet is far short of a quarter wavelength
on 160. Short designs use loading coils and hats and all manner of
voodoo to operate. Eventually I can get my end fed wire up around 50
feet. It is curved around in a crescent shape from one side of my
property..across the back... and part way up the other side for a total
of about 170 feet. Much bigger than a 40 foot vertical! Should I expect
better results with the wire elevated than with a 40 foot vertical on
160? I have had very good results on 80 and 40 with that same wire but
higher than the 20 feet I have now. I have never used a vertical on HF
or MF.

When some younger blood is available I will be putting the wire support
system with marine grade blocks (pulleys to you Marine Corps types) and
halyards to put the wire near treetop levels (about 50 feet). The 40
foot vertical can be used on the higher HF bands and forget about 160 on
it.

73,

Bill