Topband: 160 meter antenna possibilities

[Byron Tatum]

Hello-    I hope I do not intrude too much here for a little advice about 160 meter antenna choices. I am getting settled in to my new QTH and am in process of getting antenna systems put up. I have a 30' x 50' metal shop building, the 50' length running east/west, sitting on about 4 acres behind the house available for antennas. There is a 130' tower off NW corner of building about 45' out, and a 140' tower sitting 20' out away the south wall of building, centered on the buildings 50' wall. The towers are about 110' apart. I have 5 total runs of 1-5/8" heliax plus other rotor, control and smaller feedlines all coming into the building from these two towers; the cables are entering building about 13' above ground. I operate VHF/UHF a lot, but want a decent 160 meter antenna. The 2 towers will have mostly 144, 222, 432, 1296 yagis plus 40 meter rotary dipole. The tower guy wires are broken up with insulators in 27' segments. Eventually I plan to put up a 160 meter vertical out in the open area but for right now I am looking for suggestions on what I can hang off of one of the towers. I have considered an inverted-V as I can fan the legs out pretty far/high to get a decent apex angle. I have considered an inverted-L but really do not want to have the several radials in the way (if I go above ground) or to do a more extensive ground radial system around building/towers areas. I have considered a compressed delta loop, fed 1/4 wave down from apex for vertical polarization. Of course, shunt feeding a tower is out of consideration due to feedlines coming off of towers about 20' up. I was considering running a heavy dacron cord from the top of one of the towers, making a span out of about 250' out to a support around 40'-50' tall. About 140' out I would have the top loading wire for a "T" vertical antenna. The top loading wire would be slanted but I believe that is not too bad a compromise. The vertical would be in the clear and I could put in a really good radial system. I believe I could get about 80' height of vertical to "T" wire center. Possibly this could be a more permanent 160 meter transmitting vertical. Just open for suggestions.Thanks, Byron W5FH