[TowerTalk] 160 question from new antenna

[Peter Dougherty (W2IRT)]

Hi guys,

Concerning the multi-band dipole I put up the other day (the one with 
the QRM issues), after playing around for a couple of nights with 
this antenna, I'm noticing the performance on 160 is non-existent for 
anything more than about 600 miles away. Stations that are spotted 
"loud" are ESP at best and 99% of spots made by other 1's and 2's 
aren't audible at all. This is a 3-band dipole, and the 160 leg is 
shared with 40m, then passes through a coil. Granted, it's an 
electrically-shortened antenna with a lower capture area than a 
full-sized antenna, but I was expecting better than this, for sure!

I can not achieve a flat SWR at all, anywhere; it comes down to 2:1 
at 1830. It's in a Vee configuration with the apex at 68 feet, a 
fairly steep angle off the tower and the ends are around 15 feet off 
the ground. I'm not expecting miracles off this antenna, but I'd at 
least like to have a shot into the Caribbean and Europe. With what's 
there now even those modest destinations are completely out of the question.

The lot is about a quarter-acre suburban plot of land, irregularly 
shaped, and certainly no room for a beverage or a full-sized 160 
dipole. This is my first-ever attempt at top-band and my engineering 
expertise is minimal. If there are any low-band experts who could 
lend a hand (off-list might be better) and help me get set up right, 
I'd be extremely grateful. Circumstances are such that I'm looking 
for a solution that can go up once (and, weather and luck permitting) 
stay up, rather than taking things down every few days to re-orient 
and experiment, etc.

Thanks again to one and all, and the best for 2006!



- Peter

W2IRT