Topband: Commercial 160 antennas?

[Hank Garretson]

On Fri, Jan 1, 2016 at 5:50 AM, Ed Sawyer <sawyered at earthlink.net> wrote:

We would do better sometimes to stop talking ideal and actually help posters
> when they state a question with clear compromises and limitations.  In my
> opinion anyway.
>

Okay. In my anecdotal experience, an inverted L, or in my case a T, with a
single bent elevated counterpoise beats the pants off my horizontal or
inverted-V wires.

Specifics. I have horizontal room for a 90-foot flattop. I make this into
an 80-meter dipole by with dropping 30-foot doglegs at each end. The
flattop is only 46 feet high. I feed the dipole with coax. On 160, I tie
the coax together and feed it against a single 134-foot counterpoise 12
feet above ground. The counterpoise runs about forty feet to back of yard
and then is bent back to run by side of house toward street. Included bent
angle is about 40 degrees.

This arrangement works. WAS in one weekend. All continents except Europe in
one weekend. Anecdotal--everyone's mileage will vary.

Someday, I'm going to try to add some more counterpoises but it will be
hard given my layout. Maybe a K2AV FCP or two.

Bottom line. Vertical is usually better than horizontal or inverted-V. Put
up the best you can manage. Most important, don't let naysayers keep you
from getting on the most-fun band ever.

73,

Hank, W6SX