Topband: 160 sloper readings

[Gary Smith]

Folks,

I'm starting to get ready for the upcoming 
winter frolics on 160. The 160 antenna is 
a sloper and I have somewhere around 50 or 
so 130' radials pretty much buried under 
6-7 years of leaves. When I went to the 
remote coax switch & checked the readings 
on the sloper with 10' of coax, I found 
some readings with the old MFJ-259B that 
concerns me. 

I thought I'd cut the Sloper at 129' long 
for best SWR at 1.825 but I'm now reading 
the lowest SWR at 1.737 MHz and the 
impedance read 85. Going back to the shack 
I read the antenna (with 360' of 7/8 50 
ohm commscope now in-between), and the 
resistance drops to 55 but the SWR still 
reads lowest around 1.737

It appears I need to shorten my antenna, 
I'll have to work out the proper length 
again but my concern is why at the feed 
point would I see 85 for the resistance at 
resonance. 

Suggestions on what might I give a look to 
when I go back out tomorrow?

Thanks & 73,

Gary
KA1J