Topband: [Bulk] Looking for 160m narrow beam RX advice

[Grant Saviers]

I put my DX Eng 4 sq right at a corner of my lot.  A 4' ground rod only 
worked ok, but in a pretty wet area most of the year, so I added three 
15 foot bare #14 Cu radials for drier times.  Two along the 90 deg 
baselines as keeping radials away from the feedline to the central 
switch seemed a good idea.  The third does go onto a neighbor's yard but 
both sides are dense forest/wet, and I got permission.  The baseline is 
the 70' compromise dimension for 160/80.  I used 11' high elements - 5/8 
& 1/2" Al 6' tube also from DXE.  I'm planning to add 6' more of 3/4" 
tube.  I made my own mounting plates to hold the elements and preamp box 
to the ground rod from 3/8 acrylic.

Other than having a noisy cable which I fixed, it has worked very well. 
How well depends on the arrival angles but 3+ S units are pretty common 
F/B.  My baselines are N-S-E-W so mine has the directivity you desire.

Grant KZ1W


On 1/4/2015 10:03 AM, Lloyd Berg - N9LB wrote:
> I have read and re-read the recently posted 160m RX antenna information
> presented on the Top Band Reflector and am sold on building a separate low
> band receive antenna system in my front yard that is away from my TX towers
> in the back yard.
>
> I am wondering if anyone is willing to give me input on my situation.  I
> need the best option for narrow beam RX.
>
> There are neighbor houses (noise sources) close to the property line on the
> east and west sides, and my house is on the south side, of the proposed
> receive antenna area.  So I need both good front-to-back and good
> front-to-side rejection.
>
> The least visually intrusive antenna system for the front yard would seem to
> be something using short verticals or perhaps loops or flags hidden in the
> landscape plantings.
>
> Overall front yard dimensions are approx 130’ x 130’.  Property line
> alignment is N-S.  Desired receive directions would be NE-Europe, NW-Asia,
> SE-Africa, SW-VK/ZL.  ( An aerial view of my QTH is available on Google
> Maps, satellite view  )
>
> Ground conductivity is poor, so I will need supplemental ground radials if I
> go with RX verticals.  I cannot run ground radials onto my neighbor’s
> properties, so putting the RX verticals right on the property lines, with
> only half a ground radial system probably would not work properly.
>
> Recommended distances for a 160m four-square are either 135 feet which is
> not do-able here, or 80 feet which is do-able and would allow for 25’ ground
> radials around all four RX verticals - but the side rejection looks to be
> minimal with an 80 foot array spacing.
>
> The other obvious options to a four square might be a pair of short
> verticals or flags or loops using an Antenna Phasing and Noise Canceling box
> such as the NCC-1.
>
> Any advice or hearing of your experience with a narrow beam RX system in a
> similar situation would be greatly appreciated.
>
> 73
>
> Lloyd - N9LB
>
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