[TowerTalk] 160M Inverted Vee

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

> I have seen two posts now claiming that an inverted vee works better 
> than a vertical for receiving on 160 meters for both DX and local (at 
>  So 
> what is it about an inverted vee that makes it better for your 
> situation? Any speculation?

Very simple.  I am limited by terrestrial noise.  That noise propagates
only by vertically polarized ground wave.  A horizonatally polarized
antenna cancels out this noise.  The signals are reduced, but the noise
is reduced more.

On my mobile setup, the noise is S9 at my QTH.  If I drive to an
area with no power lines, the noise goes to S0.  At that location,
a vertical would make a fine receive antenna.  There is also a huge
change in noise when the band opens.  Unlike my home QTH.

> Here's a piece of information that may/or may not be helpful.  An 
> inverted vee that is very short (very high SWR), fed with coax and no 
> balun, will have high common mode feedline currents, and function a lot 
> like a vertical.  If the feedline is placed next to something, like a 
> tower, the feedline will couple to the tower.

Of course you MUST decouple the feedline to play this game.  I use a
2.4 inch toroid wound with 15 turns of RG58 for my inverted vee balun.

Rick N6RK