[TowerTalk] Circularly Polarized Receive Antenna

[Jim Brown]

On 8/13/2025 4:46 AM, Brian Beezley wrote:
> Fading can be a problem on 160. When it is due to polarization rotation 
> of the incoming signal, a circularly polarized receive antenna can 
> eliminate it.

Very interesting ideas, Brian!  However -- the overwhelming issue for 
many of us is local noise. I have two reversible half-wave Beverages, 
half-wave on 160M, that are effective as high as 20M, one to EU/VK, the 
other to SA/JA. I also have a phased pair of VE3DO loops spaced 5/8-wave 
on 160 that are also effective on 80M. All of these antennas are 
vertically polarized. There's a noisy home with a solar system in the 
direction of EU, another in the direction of SA, and a retreat center 
with a large solar system in the direction of JA.

My point is that for most hams, receive noise is the dominant factor in 
what we can hear. With the same Beverages and TX antenna, I could work 
EU on 160 CW a few nights a year when I moved here in 2006. I haven't 
heard EU on CW for five years. I do serious weak signal work on 6M, and 
noise from most directions is limiting me by 12 dB or more.

BTW -- beginning with their K3, introduced in 2007, Elecraft has had the 
option of a second synced RX, and I've been using it since 2008. I'm 
phasing the two VE3DO loops with a DX Eng NCC-1 noise canceller, which 
is a very nicely engineered unit. Measured responses are in this pdf.

http://k9yc.com/VE3DO.pdf

73, Jim K9YC