Topband: RX epiphany?

[Tom W8JI]

>>Hi thanks to all for the replies. Sorry I wasn't clear my QTH is northern 
>>Thailand. The point I was trying to make is that even though it is a noisy 
>>part of the season it is apparently less noisy at the European latitudes. 
>>Unfortunately I don't have enough land to put up a 160m Xmit 4 square and 
>>an RX array, it will have to be one or the other....
>>

Bob,

A basic Inverted L or vertical would be maybe $100-500 US over here.

A 160 TX four square, if done right, costs thousands of dollars in the USA. 
It will generally receive only as well as a $25 Beverage antenna, maybe not 
that well, and you will have a one-band antenna. Unless you homebrew 
something, it will only have about five dB transmit gain at the most.

A linear amp that gives 13 dB gain is about the same price increase as a 5 
dB gain four-square.

The linear works on all bands, has much more gain, and that frees hundreds 
of dollars for receiving antennas that can work on all bands.

To me it is a no-brainer for low bands. The normal reasonable order of 
progression is:

1.) good TX omni antenna

2.) good basic RX antennas that fit your location

3.) amplifier

4.) better RX antennas or bigger amp, depending on your results at this 
point

5.) after legal limit is reached and only if people have problems hearing 
you, only then comes transmitting antenna gain or 6 dB gain radials (as one 
person once claimed :-)

High transmitting antenna gain at the start makes sense on 20 meters and 
above, where antenna cost is low and the antenna can be a 1/2 wave or more 
high Yagi. My opinion is it makes no sense at all on lowest bands to start 
with TX antenna gain. The cost per dB is far too much.

73 Tom