Topband: 160m Parasitic array

[VE6WZ_Steve]

This summer two 75’ top-loaded parasitic elements were installed at my remote QTH and are tuned to act either as a reflector or director to provide a 4 direction array using my existing shunt-fed crank-up tower as the central driver.

I wrote some detail on the modelling, electrical and mechanical design as well as construction notes on the installation if anyone is interested:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eVklkZtlJW93JIJ9oDqbCyl-Jkik6YEX/view <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eVklkZtlJW93JIJ9oDqbCyl-Jkik6YEX/view>

Perhaps of interest to those considering adding a parasitic to an existing 160m vertical are my notes about tuning the array.  I have often read that field strength testing for gain and F/B is used as a tuning approach. This can be problematic, time consuming and tedious.  I describe a tuning approach which allows the array to be tuned quickly and with confidence to the desired F/B or gain points using just the antenna analyzer at the feedpoint.
Here is a video of installation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXDTEj0xDJU <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXDTEj0xDJU>


73, de steve VE6WZ.