[TowerTalk] Shunt fed vs Inverted L and Vee

[Dennis W0JX]

I have been using a shunt fed tower system on 160M since 1978. I first started out with a 60 feet Universal with a TH6 on top followed by 3 stacked mono-banders. The next iteration was growing the tower to 70 feet (after a QTH move) with the monobander stack. A storm took this down and when rebuilt, I put the TH6 back up. After another QTH move, I grew the tower again to 80 feet with the TH6 on top and two years ago, the TH6 was replaced with a TH-11. It is self-resonant somewhere near 1790 KhZ and is a killer 160M antenna.

The shunt feed has been comprised of 1/2 inch CATV hardline fed in series with a large variable capacitor.
Two years ago, this was replaced by a vacuum variable which I strongly recommend. I have about 30 radials around 125 feet long.

I cannot imagine a better single element antenna for 160 that fits on my lot without guying. Your 90 foot tower might benefit by more top loading. I would get rid of the slant feed as it introduces some horizontal component. This antenna, in my opinion, is far better than an inverted L or an inverted V.

73, Dennis W0JX/8
Milan OH