[TowerTalk] Help in planning a new QTH

[Peter Dougherty (W2IRT)]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the reflector and relatively-new to HF DXing and I'd be very 
grateful for some assistance in the field of choosing the best components, 
planning, etc, for later this year.

The short version is that for the last 4 years I've lived on the top floor 
of a 3-story building in Queens, NY, and with a LOT of luck from a helpful 
building super and landlord, I've been able to erect two dipoles -- each 
suspended by ropes off vent pipes on the roof of the building. I've had 
modest success with these (3 cards on 80 shy of my 5B DXCC), but with any 
luck, later this year I'll be moving into a new QTH in Norwalk, CT and the 
idea is to create a station that will be as strong as possible on a modest 
sized suburban lot. My goal in all this is not to create a contest super 
station, just something that will hopefully vault me onto the Honor roll in 
reasonable time and boost my country count on 80 considerably.

Since we're in the very early stages of house-hunting I obviously don't 
have property specs or land elevation details, but what I'm trying to get a 
sense of is what models of antennae I should be looking at, tower types, 
cost, etc. I intend to run everything from 10-160 (if lot size allows; 
10-80 if not), and my sole focus is DX, and specifically the ability to put 
(and pull) signals to/from Asia. Essentially everything on the map between 
Iran and Hong Kong <grin>. I'd also like to have something that would give 
me a shot at the snaring the ultra-difficult southern Indian Ocean islands 
(i.e. like Kerguelen and Crozet, neither or which I even have a faint hope 
of hearing this time 'round).

The one rub to all this is whatever I put up has to not freak out an 
otherwise-tolerant XYL. I'd thought a 55 footer with a single SteppIR 
4-element (plus a VEE or sloper for the low bands) was the best way to go, 
but in chatting with another esteemed list-member, that thought was 
essentially dismissed so I'm back to square one. I don't think a monstrous 
house-plus-sized multi-element yagi will pass XYL-muster, nor will a 75' 
tower...not to mention the crap I'm likely to face from somewhat rich and 
likely locally-powerful neighbours in that part of the world.

As I said at the outset, I'm pretty green to all of this and what may be 
old-hat to you is brand new to me, so I do beg your indulgence. Thanks in 
advance!


73,

Peter,
W2IRT