Topband: Soliciting suggestions on our receive antennas for 5X8C
Hi All, My team is currently on DXpedition to Uganda 5X8C We have erected receive antennas here in 5X with very poor success. W e have used the same antennas at other places with great success. Please read below and if you can offer some constructive suggestions please reply to me and copy reflector. davek...@yahoo.com We are experiencing some weird problems with our receive antennas. We have a beverage about 540 feet long, terminated properly about 5 to 6 feet over the ground. I have built plenty of these at my house, they all work. This one here does not. It hears noise but no signals. Once In a while you can hears signals. So put you're receive antenna hat on. We suspect the ground is the problem. We are located on the shore of Victoria Lake at a resort. The soil appears to be sandy but with fresh water lake nearby. 200 feet. The beverage is in the clear away from large metal objects. With a 510 ohm termination we measure about 235 ohms when looking across the termination resistor. Using resistor theory essentially we have two resistances in parallel. The wire , termination transformer, ground rods and ground are about 500 ohms. Having not measured this at home I'm not sure if this is too low or too high of resistance. We erected a Flag 29x14 feet mounted just above the ground. This is purported to be ground independent. Our tests last night indicate this antenna is not hearing very well either. We are soliciting suggestions. We only have a small amount of wire and other antenna stuff, no Home Depot or Radio Shack around. Perhaps we can build a ground independent antenna that does not care what it sits on. We have or can source some wooden poles to make wire radiators. The 5X8C team thanks you in I Thank You in Advance, Dave Anderson, 5X/K4SV Sent from my iPad in Uganda _ Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Soliciting suggestions on our receive antennas for 5X8C
We are experiencing some weird problems with our receive antennas. We have a beverage about 540 feet long, terminated properly about 5 to 6 feet over the ground. I have built plenty of these at my house, they all work. This one here does not. It hears noise but no signals. Once In a while you can hears signals. So put you're receive antenna hat on. We suspect the ground is the problem. We are located on the shore of Victoria Lake at a resort. The soil appears to be sandy but with fresh water lake nearby. 200 feet. The beverage is in the clear away from large metal objects. With a 510 ohm termination we measure about 235 ohms when looking across the termination resistor. Using resistor theory essentially we have two resistances in parallel. The wire , termination transformer, ground rods and ground are about 500 ohms. Having not measured this at home I'm not sure if this is too low or too high of resistance. We erected a Flag 29x14 feet mounted just above the ground. This is purported to be ground independent. Our tests last night indicate this antenna is not hearing very well either. Dave Anderson, 5X/K4SV Dave, Which bands are you listening on? It's possible you'll find that the antennas perform better on 40m or 30m than on 160m or 80m because of your latitude, which is near zero. I understand there is a zone near the equator in which lower-frequency signals do not propagate well. My own experience on a road trip from southern to northern West Australia a few years ago demonstrated the effect. 40 meter prop all but fell away as we entered the northern territories. Brad KV5V _ Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Soliciting suggestions on our receive antennas for 5X8C
Hi Dave, My first thought is an artificial noise floor from some device at your location. How much S meter difference between antenna off and antenna connected ? Do you have battery power for your transceiver available for a test ? 73, Bruce-K1FZ - Original Message - From: Dave davek...@yahoo.com To: topband@contesting.com Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2013 1:05 AM Subject: Topband: Soliciting suggestions on our receive antennas for 5X8C Hi All, My team is currently on DXpedition to Uganda 5X8C We have erected receive antennas here in 5X with very poor success. W e have used the same antennas at other places with great success. Please read below and if you can offer some constructive suggestions please reply to me and copy reflector. davek...@yahoo.com We are experiencing some weird problems with our receive antennas. We have a beverage about 540 feet long, terminated properly about 5 to 6 feet over the ground. I have built plenty of these at my house, they all work. This one here does not. It hears noise but no signals. Once In a while you can hears signals. So put you're receive antenna hat on. We suspect the ground is the problem. We are located on the shore of Victoria Lake at a resort. The soil appears to be sandy but with fresh water lake nearby. 200 feet. The beverage is in the clear away from large metal objects. With a 510 ohm termination we measure about 235 ohms when looking across the termination resistor. Using resistor theory essentially we have two resistances in parallel. The wire , termination transformer, ground rods and ground are about 500 ohms. Having not measured this at home I'm not sure if this is too low or too high of resistance. We erected a Flag 29x14 feet mounted just above the ground. This is purported to be ground independent. Our tests last night indicate this antenna is not hearing very well either. We are soliciting suggestions. We only have a small amount of wire and other antenna stuff, no Home Depot or Radio Shack around. Perhaps we can build a ground independent antenna that does not care what it sits on. We have or can source some wooden poles to make wire radiators. The 5X8C team thanks you in I Thank You in Advance, Dave Anderson, 5X/K4SV Sent from my iPad in Uganda _ Topband Reflector _ Topband Reflector
Topband: G3FPQ SK
From the Daily DX: G3FPQ, David Courtier-Dutton, passed away on Sunday February 3rd. He was 79. Roger VE3ZI _ Topband Reflector
Topband: Top Band woke up for me this morning!
FINALLY heard and worked two JAs this morning on Top Band! Was beginning to wonder if I'd work at least of couple of JAs this winter! I've been hearing JAs, occasionally, along with HL5IVL, but no joy this winter, till this morning! One was a solid 579 here on my best I can do antenna system - 43' vertical with three 25' top loading wires and 60 elevated radials. Anyhow, fun to work some JAs on Top Band - had a little HF Packer Amp connected to my new Ten Tec Argonaut VI QRP rig so was running about 30 watts. I should have tried QRP first but - was so excited to hear them I forgot to turn the little amp off! Hi Hi I know this doesn't mean much to all you big guns with the super Beverage antennas, but, trust me, a BIG deal for us little pistols! 73/72 Jim R. K9JWV _ Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Soliciting suggestions on our receive antennas for 5X8C
Dave, You signals are great on 160 night after night with QSB of course. You might wish to try some spider wires hooked to you ground both at the feed point and the termination point. Four or five wires about 60 feet or more fanned out in the RX direction should stabilize the need for a ground. BTW I have two Beverages your way and the 900 foot does very well but the 500 foot is worthless. The same results on 80 meters but not as severe. The spider approach will help in establishing better earthing stability on both ends of the Beverage. any wire will do even pieces of CAT 5 cable with the wires twisted together and laying on the ground. If you have additional ground rods of even pieces of rebar you can add to your ground in a five foot distance from the main termination. Improving the grounding on each end may help your situation. Also make sure your Beverage run is not near any other noise source or vertical antennas. At least a 100-200 foot separation may help in your circumstance. On behalf of all those you have worked and the hopeful still trying, the greatest respect for putting Uganda on the air on TB and concentrating on 160 as you have. So many DX-peditions just give up after the first problem working stations on TB and look for a higher Q-rate on higher bands. Your devotion to 160 is awesome. Regards, Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ On 2/10/2013 5:05 AM, Dave wrote: Hi All, My team is currently on DXpedition to Uganda 5X8C We have erected receive antennas here in 5X with very poor success. W e have used the same antennas at other places with great success. Please read below and if you can offer some constructive suggestions please reply to me and copy reflector. davek...@yahoo.com We are experiencing some weird problems with our receive antennas. We have a beverage about 540 feet long, terminated properly about 5 to 6 feet over the ground. I have built plenty of these at my house, they all work. This one here does not. It hears noise but no signals. Once In a while you can hears signals. So put you're receive antenna hat on. We suspect the ground is the problem. We are located on the shore of Victoria Lake at a resort. The soil appears to be sandy but with fresh water lake nearby. 200 feet. The beverage is in the clear away from large metal objects. With a 510 ohm termination we measure about 235 ohms when looking across the termination resistor. Using resistor theory essentially we have two resistances in parallel. The wire , termination transformer, ground rods and ground are about 500 ohms. Having not measured this at home I'm not sure if this is too low or too high of resistance. We erected a Flag 29x14 feet mounted just above the ground. This is purported to be ground independent. Our tests last night indicate this antenna is not hearing very well either. We are soliciting suggestions. We only have a small amount of wire and other antenna stuff, no Home Depot or Radio Shack around. Perhaps we can build a ground independent antenna that does not care what it sits on. We have or can source some wooden poles to make wire radiators. The 5X8C team thanks you in I Thank You in Advance, Dave Anderson, 5X/K4SV Sent from my iPad in Uganda _ Topband Reflector _ Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Soliciting suggestions on our receive antennas for 5X8C
Hi Dave Your dilemma sounds very much like the one described by Robin, WA6CDR during the XZ0N operation some years ago. I hope he will weigh in on helping with a solution. Water can be your friend on tx but not always on rx. AA7JV on his various trips has also experienced this, I believe. Hopefully, George will comment, too, Quick ideas: Get beverages away from the water as much as possible. Believe this is what XZ0N ultimately did. Experiment with gain ground independent systems. Add a second flag in broadside or endfire config sounds like the easiest possibility. I'll let the experts comment further. And know that the tx signal is good. I.E. good copy into W8 on topband last eve from 23Z for nearly 90 min according to a local caller who could not break the EU hold, hi. GL 73 George W8UVZ Hi All, My team is currently on DXpedition to Uganda 5X8C We have erected receive antennas here in 5X with very poor success. W e have used the same antennas at other places with great success. Please read below and if you can offer some constructive suggestions please reply to me and copy reflector. davek...@yahoo.com We are experiencing some weird problems with our receive antennas. We have a beverage about 540 feet long, terminated properly about 5 to 6 feet over the ground. I have built plenty of these at my house, they all work. This one here does not. It hears noise but no signals. Once In a while you can hears signals. So put you're receive antenna hat on. We suspect the ground is the problem. We are located on the shore of Victoria Lake at a resort. The soil appears to be sandy but with fresh water lake nearby. 200 feet. The beverage is in the clear away from large metal objects. With a 510 ohm termination we measure about 235 ohms when looking across the termination resistor. Using resistor theory essentially we have two resistances in parallel. The wire , termination transformer, ground rods and ground are about 500 ohms. Having not measured this at home I'm not sure if this is too low or too high of resistance. We erected a Flag 29x14 feet mounted just above the ground. This is purported to be ground independent. Our tests last night indicate this antenna is not hearing very well either. We are soliciting suggestions. We only have a small amount of wire and other antenna stuff, no Home Depot or Radio Shack around. Perhaps we can build a ground independent antenna that does not care what it sits on. We have or can source some wooden poles to make wire radiators. The 5X8C team thanks you in I Thank You in Advance, Dave Anderson, 5X/K4SV Sent from my iPad in Uganda _ Topband Reflector _ Topband Reflector
