Topband: AM broadcast tower and 160m dxpedition

[Mike Furrey]

I put a delta loop fed at a corner with the apex at only 100' (slightly squashed). We compared it to an inverted V that was on another tower about 200' away that was also 100'. A/B indicated the delta was louder on transmit but much noisier on receive. The Inverted V was quieter. Signals were down a bit but noise was down more. Just could have been issue at our QTH.
 
73, Mike WA5POK 


On Tuesday, June 10, 2014 2:58 PM, DALE LONG <dale.long at prodigy.net> wrote:
  


Hi Milt:

This is not a big dxpedtion like VP6DX!  We do not have a dxpedition webpage. We will use LOTW but we will not have real-time logging.

For many years I have been involved in mission work to build radio stations in Haiti with an organization called Radio Lumiere.   This is a Haitian nationally-run organization (a good thing not often enough found in developing countries where too often funding decisions are made by large NGOs).  

We have engineers and technical folks from USA and Germany who provide technical assistance and radio equipment. About once a year we go to Haiti and build a new FM station with 100ft tower.  This year our project is to build an AM station.  The two amateur groups are tasked with erecting the 240 foot AM tower.  Then we get to play with it. This is a great opportunity, and is not often offered to amateurs. The tower would be erected by the group who is going in November for CQWW.  The 160m dxpedition should arrive to find a big tower, but lacking radials with some kind of 160m antenna.  Improving it for 160m would be our project.   Our 160m efforts will be not of much practical use for the radio network, but necessary for topband.  

It is interesting to note (for some of the AM broadcast engineers in this group)  that the people in Haiti (who dont have television and online news) still find AM to be an important communication vehicle.

We do have a big opportunity.  Many broadcast engineers do not have a high opinion of amateur radio operators and their abilities.  And they do not often offer to allow an amateur group the use of their broadcast tower.  But in this case the amateur community is providing the tower and the expertise to put it up.  In return, we are allowed to use it.  We plan to raise the tower in late November and have a small team to operate in the CQWW.  I and other amateurs plan to stay and operate the ARRL 160m contest.  We have a decent place to stay near the airport, and not far to the site.  We will have a generator to ensure that we have power.

The location is a salt marsh right on the ocean.  We own the 9-acre plot.  Although I have used beverages in other dxpeditions, I think that beverages would be of little value in the marshy area.  (when I last visited the site the tower base and tuning house were on dry land and historically stay dry.)  But part of the radial field would be in the marsh.  We would have some local workers to provide assistance with radial installation.

What we will have available is simply a tall broadcast tower.  It will be top-loaded to bring it close to the design frequency of 660 Khz. We are still seeking a bottom insulator for the broadcast tower.

As far as 160m operation is concerned, we could tune the tower with broadcast tuning network, but I agree with Dado and others that it may not be as good as a sloping dipole. (If we have opportunity we will try both.)

If you would like to join us you would be most welcome.  We need some 160 guys, especially to build some kind of listening antenna for a site with high ground conductivity.

73

Dale - N3BNA

P.S. in addition to topband activities, I would note that all the ham radio stations in Haiti are operating with low or compromised antennas.  On the higher bands we should be able to contact areas of the world that do not often have opportunity to contact Haiti.  And as it happens many of our first group are well-known VHF contesters. So you may find us on 6m when our work is finished.




>________________________________
> From: Milt -- N5IA <n5ia at zia-connection.com>
>To: DALE LONG <dale.long at prodigy.net> 
>Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 11:28 AM
>Subject: Re: Topband: AM broadcast tower and 160m dxpedition
> 
>
>Dale,
>
>Do you have a web page of the DXpedition that spells out the basics?
>
>Interested.   In particular, what are your plans for 160 Meters, my 
>specialty?
>
>de Milt, N5IA  --  XZ1N, XZ0A, VP6DX
>
>
>
>-----Original Message----- 
>From: DALE LONG
>Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 6:25 AM
>To: Dragoslav Balaban ; 'Carl' ; Gary at ka1j.com ; Topband at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: Topband: AM broadcast tower and 160m dxpedition
>
>Hi Dado:
>
>I agree with you.  Thanks to advice from AA1K, I built a sloping dipole at 
>200 feet for 80m in HH7-land.  I was really loud into EU and USA with only a 
>borrowed TS-50.
>
>We are still looking for operators for the HH2 160m dxpedition Dec1-Dec8.
>
>73
>
>Dale - N3BNA
>
>
>
>
>-----
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>
>
>
>
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