Topband: Low 160m dple - trash or treasure?

[Mike Smith VE9AA]

Interesting Tree !

 

I am reminded by your story, that for a short time at a previous QTH I had a low full wave loop going all around my property which generally was only good on RX but back in the early 90’s I beat most of the locals to a 9M6 station on 160m one time and I think it was right at greyline.  One of the only times that thing was any good on TX.

 

TNX!

 

MikeAA

 

Mike - Keswick Ridge, NB, Canada 

 

From: Tree [mailto:tree at kkn.net] 
Sent: January 13, 2025 11:44 AM
To: Mike Smith VE9AA
Cc: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Low 160m dple - trash or treasure?

 

"Has anyone used a low 160m dipole at only 25'?"

 

Yes.  When I lived with N6VI back in 1976, he had big station plans, but they all came together after he got married and I moved out.

 

In the meantime, I put up a 35 foot tower near the house.  The feed point was quite a bit away from the tower as it was near the front of the property and thus wasn't very high at all.  Maybe 20 feet.  The end of the dipole was likely held up in some tree that I threw a rope over a limb.

 

I remember working VS6DO with this antenna.  

 

I should also mention that sometimes at sunrise - I have found a low dipole is actually a good performer.  I had one in a ravine in Boring, and occasionally, things would be coming in at a high angle at sunrise and it would beat my vertical.  

 

Tree N6TR

 

On Mon, Jan 13, 2025 at 6:44 AM Mike Smith VE9AA <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:

So, this past weekend I pretty much got skunked on Topband as my 160m
inverted L died after the first QSO in the NAQP CW contest and I had no 160m
backup antenna.(only band I don't currently have a backup for)



About the only thing I would be able to manage as a "backup" antenna here is
a slightly ends-bent horizontal dipole, but only up 25' (that's roughly like
having a 20m dipole up ~3.3' if I've done my math correctly.)



Has anyone used a low 160m dipole at only 25'?



Have you worked coast to coast (NA) or any DX?



I know all about verticals, inverted L's etc. I have a yard chock full of
them.   I have terrible soil conductivity here, but am at pretty good height
ASL, so do "OK" on VHF/HF.



My specific question is for a low (cloud warmer) dipole on Topband.



Tnx All!



CU (all of a sudden!) in the next one.



Mike VE9AA "NB"



Mike - Keswick Ridge, NB, Canada 





Mike - Keswick Ridge, NB, Canada 



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