Topband: 160 Antenna

[Stan Stockton]

When I was a newlywed in 1975 and lived in a downstairs apartment of a two
story house, I put up a quarterwave wire that started at ground level,
never got over 20 feet high, zig zagged around the yard from tree to tree.
I think I drove in a short piece of aluminum tubing for a ground
connection.  Drake T-4XB and R-4B, about 150 watts.  One magical night
around this time of year, the band opened up and I worked several Europeans
who were all over S9 on the meter.   You never know.

Stan, K5GO

On Mon, Dec 17, 2018 at 8:47 AM K4SAV <RadioXX at charter.net> wrote:

> Joe said
> "You want to get on 160, but do not have an actual 160 antenna. So you
> connect the largest antenna ya have, usually a 80 meter dipole, but you
> just push the connector in just so only the center pin is touching, and
> load the whole thing up like a top capacity hat, vertical, or end fed
> long wire.  Hey it works. "
>
> Back many years ago I did the same thing.  Well, I knew better but I had
> this flash of stupidity overcome me and I wanted to use it while it was
> fresh.  I blew out all the horizontal drivers in the big projection TV set.
>
> Jerry, K4SAV
>
>
> On 12/17/2018 8:31 AM, Joe wrote:
> > OK, as users of this band, we all have probably done this at least
> > once in your radio lifetime.
> >
> > You want to get on 160, but do not have an actual 160 antenna. So you
> > connect the largest antenna ya have, usually a 80 meter dipole, but
> > you just push the connector in just so only the center pin is
> > touching, and load the whole thing up like a top capacity hat,
> > vertical, or end fed long wire.  Hey it works.
> >
> > I'm thinking of doing something similar, because a full sized 1/4 wave
> > elevated vertical for 40 meters, works as well as a cannenna does when
> > trying to use it on 160.
> >
> > But I never thought of what might be the best way to do this. The
> > antenna as stated is a full sized 1/4 wave elevated Vertical,  The
> > base of the vertical is 10 feet above the ground with sloping radials
> > that act as guy wires also to hold the base in place.
> >
> > At the base of the antenna right at the feedpoint, is a large multi
> > turn coax choke. ( Ya know the so many turns on a PVC pipe thing )
> >
> > The feedline is then ran through the air for about 60 feet to the eve
> > of the house where it runs along the eve of the house on 2 sides and
> > finally into the shack. Total length is about 100 feet.
> >
> > Now I am trying to decide without actually trying to make up
> > connectors or whatever, what might be the best way to use this on 160.
> >
> > 1- As described above just the center pin, touching. I guess with the
> > braid floating the braid gets capacitivly coupled to the power and
> > does the radiating and receiving. YES? NO?
> >
> > BUT I can see the RF actually also going and using the existing
> > vertical because of the touching center pin. BUT, the braid signal,
> > I'm assuming the RF is not getting past the Coax coil and using the
> > radials.
> >
> > 2- Apply power to only the braid?  similiar to #1 but backwards. again
> > no power to the radials probably?, and only cap coupled to the vertical.
> >
> > 3- short the center and shield together and run it that way.
> >
> > Anyone have any thoughts of the best configuration any thoughts?
> >
> > Or how would a end fed random wire like 1/4 wave long about 10 feet up
> > work better?
> >
> > Joe WB9SBD
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