Re: Topband: What antenna would you build?
Hi Dino, You did not mention cost as a factor in consideration of a vertical array. On 5 acres a good full sized vertical and KW with a good effort in ground system would likely do the job. A strong effort in low noise RX antennas would be required because a single vertical won't cut the job in that respect. On a well sited 5 acres you could fit a 4 SQ array or a 5 el K5ZN system. I would suggest that 1/4 wave towers are not needed in vertical arrays if overall cost is a factor. I have successfully used 43ft push up masts for almost 20 years at my remote. The driven and parasitic masts have two top loading wires about 75ft long hung inverted V style with a small tuning inductor at the base. Feed point impedance is about 12.5 Ohms matched by un-un. A full sized massive ground system is required to optimum coupling of elements which is no small undertaking. The advantage of 3el end-fire or 4 element end-fire arrays is you do not need a lot of separate low RX antennas unless station is set up for multiple operators. They have a very decent RDF figure. This of course depends on your noise environment. there are no separate RX antennas at W7RH remote. Again as suggested refer to ON4UN Low band DXing. Check out K7CA/ N7JW RX arrays which are also used for transmitting. Also see my site at http://w7rh.net 73 Bob W7RH _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: What antenna would you build?
Dino, you didn’t Mention if you were building a house on the 5 acres. If so, that would limit your choices depending on where the house is. I’m on 6 acres and at best I could get 2 elements either to the NE or east-west. If you go to my QRZ.com page my property layout is at the bottom. My inverted L uses 60 x 100’ radials. Regards , Kenny K2KW > On Mar 24, 2022, at 12:01 PM, topband-requ...@contesting.com wrote: > > Subject: Topband: What antenna would you build? _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: What antenna would you build?
Sorry, Tim's article was August 1994. Dino - KX6D From: Topband on behalf of Dino Darling Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2022 10:33:28 AM To: Stan Stockton ; w...@w5zn.org Cc: topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: What antenna would you build? Thanks Tree and the rest! I don't contest for two reasons; I lack talent and patience. No way I'm sitting in a chair past 2 hours! Besides, my ears are shot thanks to the US Navy (but I'm not complaining!). My goal here, being new to Topband, is to see what the experienced operator has learned over these many years and apply it to my operation. If someone bought their first Jeep and wanted to build it, I would be invaluable to them based on my decades of experience. A 3/8 wave vertical was suggested as well and Tim's antenna could be added later. I also found Tim's QST articles from 1996 that illustrates the sloper antenna I saw. I have a custom built, single tube, dual-band amplifier for 160/80 and I plan to use it, so I'll have some gain for TX. I'll continue my education on RX antennas! Dino - KX6D From: Stan Stockton Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2022 9:55:41 AM To: w...@w5zn.org Cc: Dino Darling ; topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: What antenna would you build? Different people have differing views on the definition of a serious antenna. An 8 circle with 8 directions of BSEF verticals would definitely be serious. If you wanted one tower and didn’t want to do the work to install a minimum of 100 radials or more I would consider one tall tower with elevated radials. The best antenna I ever had in Arkansas was 192 feet of 25G which I put up in 1980. This tower was shunt fed with the feed point at 60 feet and had 9 radials (3 per leg) taking up several acres with the ends pretty high. Nobody had a four square back then so competition was not as great, but it was a great performer. I think it was better than most serious antennas at the time which would be quarter wave verticals with extensive, on ground, radial systems. That antenna for transmit and a half dozen thousand foot Beverages would be a serious 160m setup even today. 73… Stan, K5GO Sent from my iPhone > On Mar 24, 2022, at 10:34 AM, w...@w5zn.org wrote: > > Hi Dino, > > I started with a single 1/4 wave vertical as Tree notes and it worked > extremely well for years, however after a period of time I had a desire to > upgrade the single vertical to a system that offered some gain on TX. I came > across the array that Tim, K3LR, mentioned in "Low Band DX'ing" that > describes his systems and discovered I could build this array around the > existing 1/4 wave vertical and achieve 4-square performance in a smaller > footprint area. I have now used the array for four years and the performance > has been outstanding. After reading the info regarding this array in Low Band > DX'ing I documented some additional details of my experience that were > presented at the Dayton Antenna Forum and also published in the National > Contest Journal. Copies of those documents can be found here: > > https://www.kkn.net/dayton2018/2018_Dayton_Antenna_Forum-160_meter_TX_Array.pdf > > https://ncjweb.com/features/sepoct18feat.pdf > > As Tree notes, the very first step is to determine exactly what your > objective is. The five element parasitic array has met my objectives for both > contest and DX activities. > > 73 Joel W5ZN > > >> On 2022-03-23 22:38, Dino Darling wrote: >> If you may and you are willing to indulge me; if you were about to buy >> 5-acres with no neighbors or restrictions and wanted to erect a >> serious 160M antenna system, what would you build and why? We can pass >> on the Radio Arcala discussion; nobody's that cool. >> A loaded 4-square? 1/4 wave stick (or longer)? Phased dipoles? (fill >> in the blank)? >> I've seen a 200' tower with three phased dipoles tilted on end. The >> end of one side of the dipole was anchored and insulated at the top of >> the tower and came down like guy cables. About half way down was the >> feedpoint, were an isolated anchor cable continued down the same path >> to ground (like a guy cable). However, the second half of the dipole >> was pulled back to the base of the tower, from the center feedpoint >> insulator. It looked like an arrowboard chevron or a regular dipole >> that was turned 90 degrees on its side. The coax was horizontal back >> to the tower. There were three of these spaced 120 degrees apart and >> fed with a phasing network to steer it. I understand it works great. >> So what would you build? >> Dino - KX6D >> _ >> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives:
Re: Topband: What antenna would you build?
Thanks Tree and the rest! I don't contest for two reasons; I lack talent and patience. No way I'm sitting in a chair past 2 hours! Besides, my ears are shot thanks to the US Navy (but I'm not complaining!). My goal here, being new to Topband, is to see what the experienced operator has learned over these many years and apply it to my operation. If someone bought their first Jeep and wanted to build it, I would be invaluable to them based on my decades of experience. A 3/8 wave vertical was suggested as well and Tim's antenna could be added later. I also found Tim's QST articles from 1996 that illustrates the sloper antenna I saw. I have a custom built, single tube, dual-band amplifier for 160/80 and I plan to use it, so I'll have some gain for TX. I'll continue my education on RX antennas! Dino - KX6D From: Stan Stockton Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2022 9:55:41 AM To: w...@w5zn.org Cc: Dino Darling ; topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: What antenna would you build? Different people have differing views on the definition of a serious antenna. An 8 circle with 8 directions of BSEF verticals would definitely be serious. If you wanted one tower and didn’t want to do the work to install a minimum of 100 radials or more I would consider one tall tower with elevated radials. The best antenna I ever had in Arkansas was 192 feet of 25G which I put up in 1980. This tower was shunt fed with the feed point at 60 feet and had 9 radials (3 per leg) taking up several acres with the ends pretty high. Nobody had a four square back then so competition was not as great, but it was a great performer. I think it was better than most serious antennas at the time which would be quarter wave verticals with extensive, on ground, radial systems. That antenna for transmit and a half dozen thousand foot Beverages would be a serious 160m setup even today. 73… Stan, K5GO Sent from my iPhone > On Mar 24, 2022, at 10:34 AM, w...@w5zn.org wrote: > > Hi Dino, > > I started with a single 1/4 wave vertical as Tree notes and it worked > extremely well for years, however after a period of time I had a desire to > upgrade the single vertical to a system that offered some gain on TX. I came > across the array that Tim, K3LR, mentioned in "Low Band DX'ing" that > describes his systems and discovered I could build this array around the > existing 1/4 wave vertical and achieve 4-square performance in a smaller > footprint area. I have now used the array for four years and the performance > has been outstanding. After reading the info regarding this array in Low Band > DX'ing I documented some additional details of my experience that were > presented at the Dayton Antenna Forum and also published in the National > Contest Journal. Copies of those documents can be found here: > > https://www.kkn.net/dayton2018/2018_Dayton_Antenna_Forum-160_meter_TX_Array.pdf > > https://ncjweb.com/features/sepoct18feat.pdf > > As Tree notes, the very first step is to determine exactly what your > objective is. The five element parasitic array has met my objectives for both > contest and DX activities. > > 73 Joel W5ZN > > >> On 2022-03-23 22:38, Dino Darling wrote: >> If you may and you are willing to indulge me; if you were about to buy >> 5-acres with no neighbors or restrictions and wanted to erect a >> serious 160M antenna system, what would you build and why? We can pass >> on the Radio Arcala discussion; nobody's that cool. >> A loaded 4-square? 1/4 wave stick (or longer)? Phased dipoles? (fill >> in the blank)? >> I've seen a 200' tower with three phased dipoles tilted on end. The >> end of one side of the dipole was anchored and insulated at the top of >> the tower and came down like guy cables. About half way down was the >> feedpoint, were an isolated anchor cable continued down the same path >> to ground (like a guy cable). However, the second half of the dipole >> was pulled back to the base of the tower, from the center feedpoint >> insulator. It looked like an arrowboard chevron or a regular dipole >> that was turned 90 degrees on its side. The coax was horizontal back >> to the tower. There were three of these spaced 120 degrees apart and >> fed with a phasing network to steer it. I understand it works great. >> So what would you build? >> Dino - KX6D >> _ >> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: What antenna would you build?
The casual antenna nut considering a parasitic vertical array will need to pay very close attention to the comment on having a VERY SERIOUS ground radial system on all elements. 73/jeff/ac0c alpha-charlie-zero-charlie www.ac0c.com On 3/24/22 11:55 AM, Stan Stockton wrote: Different people have differing views on the definition of a serious antenna. An 8 circle with 8 directions of BSEF verticals would definitely be serious. If you wanted one tower and didn’t want to do the work to install a minimum of 100 radials or more I would consider one tall tower with elevated radials. The best antenna I ever had in Arkansas was 192 feet of 25G which I put up in 1980. This tower was shunt fed with the feed point at 60 feet and had 9 radials (3 per leg) taking up several acres with the ends pretty high. Nobody had a four square back then so competition was not as great, but it was a great performer. I think it was better than most serious antennas at the time which would be quarter wave verticals with extensive, on ground, radial systems. That antenna for transmit and a half dozen thousand foot Beverages would be a serious 160m setup even today. 73… Stan, K5GO Sent from my iPhone On Mar 24, 2022, at 10:34 AM, w...@w5zn.org wrote: Hi Dino, I started with a single 1/4 wave vertical as Tree notes and it worked extremely well for years, however after a period of time I had a desire to upgrade the single vertical to a system that offered some gain on TX. I came across the array that Tim, K3LR, mentioned in "Low Band DX'ing" that describes his systems and discovered I could build this array around the existing 1/4 wave vertical and achieve 4-square performance in a smaller footprint area. I have now used the array for four years and the performance has been outstanding. After reading the info regarding this array in Low Band DX'ing I documented some additional details of my experience that were presented at the Dayton Antenna Forum and also published in the National Contest Journal. Copies of those documents can be found here: https://www.kkn.net/dayton2018/2018_Dayton_Antenna_Forum-160_meter_TX_Array.pdf https://ncjweb.com/features/sepoct18feat.pdf As Tree notes, the very first step is to determine exactly what your objective is. The five element parasitic array has met my objectives for both contest and DX activities. 73 Joel W5ZN On 2022-03-23 22:38, Dino Darling wrote: If you may and you are willing to indulge me; if you were about to buy 5-acres with no neighbors or restrictions and wanted to erect a serious 160M antenna system, what would you build and why? We can pass on the Radio Arcala discussion; nobody's that cool. A loaded 4-square? 1/4 wave stick (or longer)? Phased dipoles? (fill in the blank)? I've seen a 200' tower with three phased dipoles tilted on end. The end of one side of the dipole was anchored and insulated at the top of the tower and came down like guy cables. About half way down was the feedpoint, were an isolated anchor cable continued down the same path to ground (like a guy cable). However, the second half of the dipole was pulled back to the base of the tower, from the center feedpoint insulator. It looked like an arrowboard chevron or a regular dipole that was turned 90 degrees on its side. The coax was horizontal back to the tower. There were three of these spaced 120 degrees apart and fed with a phasing network to steer it. I understand it works great. So what would you build? Dino - KX6D _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: What antenna would you build?
Different people have differing views on the definition of a serious antenna. An 8 circle with 8 directions of BSEF verticals would definitely be serious. If you wanted one tower and didn’t want to do the work to install a minimum of 100 radials or more I would consider one tall tower with elevated radials. The best antenna I ever had in Arkansas was 192 feet of 25G which I put up in 1980. This tower was shunt fed with the feed point at 60 feet and had 9 radials (3 per leg) taking up several acres with the ends pretty high. Nobody had a four square back then so competition was not as great, but it was a great performer. I think it was better than most serious antennas at the time which would be quarter wave verticals with extensive, on ground, radial systems. That antenna for transmit and a half dozen thousand foot Beverages would be a serious 160m setup even today. 73… Stan, K5GO Sent from my iPhone > On Mar 24, 2022, at 10:34 AM, w...@w5zn.org wrote: > > Hi Dino, > > I started with a single 1/4 wave vertical as Tree notes and it worked > extremely well for years, however after a period of time I had a desire to > upgrade the single vertical to a system that offered some gain on TX. I came > across the array that Tim, K3LR, mentioned in "Low Band DX'ing" that > describes his systems and discovered I could build this array around the > existing 1/4 wave vertical and achieve 4-square performance in a smaller > footprint area. I have now used the array for four years and the performance > has been outstanding. After reading the info regarding this array in Low Band > DX'ing I documented some additional details of my experience that were > presented at the Dayton Antenna Forum and also published in the National > Contest Journal. Copies of those documents can be found here: > > https://www.kkn.net/dayton2018/2018_Dayton_Antenna_Forum-160_meter_TX_Array.pdf > > https://ncjweb.com/features/sepoct18feat.pdf > > As Tree notes, the very first step is to determine exactly what your > objective is. The five element parasitic array has met my objectives for both > contest and DX activities. > > 73 Joel W5ZN > > >> On 2022-03-23 22:38, Dino Darling wrote: >> If you may and you are willing to indulge me; if you were about to buy >> 5-acres with no neighbors or restrictions and wanted to erect a >> serious 160M antenna system, what would you build and why? We can pass >> on the Radio Arcala discussion; nobody's that cool. >> A loaded 4-square? 1/4 wave stick (or longer)? Phased dipoles? (fill >> in the blank)? >> I've seen a 200' tower with three phased dipoles tilted on end. The >> end of one side of the dipole was anchored and insulated at the top of >> the tower and came down like guy cables. About half way down was the >> feedpoint, were an isolated anchor cable continued down the same path >> to ground (like a guy cable). However, the second half of the dipole >> was pulled back to the base of the tower, from the center feedpoint >> insulator. It looked like an arrowboard chevron or a regular dipole >> that was turned 90 degrees on its side. The coax was horizontal back >> to the tower. There were three of these spaced 120 degrees apart and >> fed with a phasing network to steer it. I understand it works great. >> So what would you build? >> Dino - KX6D >> _ >> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: What antenna would you build?
Hi Dino, I started with a single 1/4 wave vertical as Tree notes and it worked extremely well for years, however after a period of time I had a desire to upgrade the single vertical to a system that offered some gain on TX. I came across the array that Tim, K3LR, mentioned in "Low Band DX'ing" that describes his systems and discovered I could build this array around the existing 1/4 wave vertical and achieve 4-square performance in a smaller footprint area. I have now used the array for four years and the performance has been outstanding. After reading the info regarding this array in Low Band DX'ing I documented some additional details of my experience that were presented at the Dayton Antenna Forum and also published in the National Contest Journal. Copies of those documents can be found here: https://www.kkn.net/dayton2018/2018_Dayton_Antenna_Forum-160_meter_TX_Array.pdf https://ncjweb.com/features/sepoct18feat.pdf As Tree notes, the very first step is to determine exactly what your objective is. The five element parasitic array has met my objectives for both contest and DX activities. 73 Joel W5ZN On 2022-03-23 22:38, Dino Darling wrote: If you may and you are willing to indulge me; if you were about to buy 5-acres with no neighbors or restrictions and wanted to erect a serious 160M antenna system, what would you build and why? We can pass on the Radio Arcala discussion; nobody's that cool. A loaded 4-square? 1/4 wave stick (or longer)? Phased dipoles? (fill in the blank)? I've seen a 200' tower with three phased dipoles tilted on end. The end of one side of the dipole was anchored and insulated at the top of the tower and came down like guy cables. About half way down was the feedpoint, were an isolated anchor cable continued down the same path to ground (like a guy cable). However, the second half of the dipole was pulled back to the base of the tower, from the center feedpoint insulator. It looked like an arrowboard chevron or a regular dipole that was turned 90 degrees on its side. The coax was horizontal back to the tower. There were three of these spaced 120 degrees apart and fed with a phasing network to steer it. I understand it works great. So what would you build? Dino - KX6D _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: What antenna would you build?
Sorry I am a bit late to the party. You certainly can't go wrong with what K3LR or AA1K have. One question that maybe I would ask before giving advice - is what do you want to do with it? Is your primary goal to work as many countries as possible - or are you looking to be competitive in contests? If so - which contests? 160 meter antennas generally can be put into two categories - transmit and receive. The receive side is actually where to put your emphasis. Although some TX antennas have enough directivity to be useful on RX as well - HOWEVER, is any contest, it is useful to have an omni directional transmit antenna that is effective (which can be done with the K3LR approach). My suggestion might be to start with a simple 1/4 wave stick - which will enable you to work most anything you can hear - and then focus on a good array of RX antennas. You can add parasitic elements to it later if you want to mess around with them. They do take some tweaking to get tuned in just right - and also limit the amount of the band you can use (a downside in contests from the West coast where we often get pushed around the band). Tree N6TR On Thu, Mar 24, 2022 at 4:27 AM Jon Zaimes, AA1K via Topband < topband@contesting.com> wrote: > My version of Tim's array was installed in 1998, with 120 on-ground > radials under each element. A few years later I added an extra director > toward Europe for an additional 0.9 db gain in that direction. > It brought me up to 329 countries on 160, including JT, HS, XZ, VU, A5, BA. > After a few years I was looking for something more and came up with a > broadside/endfire array that offers about 8.5 db gain over a single > vertical. WW2Y/K2WI first used a version of this in New Jersey in the > 1980s, with Inverted L elements hung from trees. VY2ZM has one using > full-size towers. > My version has a footprint of 325 feet by 146 feet, oriented to favor > Europe. One of the T-shaped wire elements (no. 12 THHN, 73.5 feet vertical, > 58 feet horizontal) is borrowed from the K3LR array, switched with relays. > The other three are hung from towers and trees. Each element has 120 > on-ground radials, about 130 feet long. A couple of bs/ef arrays are > described in ON4UN's book. > If you add four more elements this becomes the 8-circle array, switchable > in 8 directions (may not fit in 5 acres). N5IA (SK) built one of these in > Arizona, still in use by the NA7TB club station. > K9DX had a 9-circle array in Illinois for many years, since dismantled. > More complex but very effective. > 73/Jon > > Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K Tower climber for hire http://www.aa1k.us/ Cell: > 302-632-2353email: j...@verizon.net or a...@arrl.net > > -Original Message- > From: Tim Duffy > To: 'Dino Darling' ; 'Topband@contesting.com' < > topband@contesting.com> > Sent: Thu, Mar 24, 2022 1:13 am > Subject: Re: Topband: What antenna would you build? > > Hello Dino, > > Take a look in the last three editions of the ON4UN Low Band book - in the > Yagi chapter. > > I have described in detail the 3 element vertical Yagi for 160 meters that > I > am using. Gives over 5 dB of gain (over a single 1/4 wavelength vertical) > and the front to back is over 30 dB at the peak. Four directions. It works > good for about 40 KHz of the band (great for DX contests). I do have CW and > SSB optimum settings for the parasitic elements. W5ZN, AA1K, K9CT, NR5M and > VE3EJ have built this antenna as well. It can work omni as well. Requires > one tower 120 feet tall and a LC matching network to step up the 25 ohm > feedpoint impedance. > > It is easy to build and very effective. Twice from K3LR we worked over 100 > DXCC in one weekend in the CQWW CW contest - from almost Ohio... > > It does require five extensive ground radial systems (one under each > element). The best DX with this antenna was JT5DX in zone 23 during the > CQWW > 160 meter contest and this past November, RW0A in zone 18 - in the morning > local time here! > > 73 > Tim K3LR > -Original Message- > From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces+k3lr=k3lr@contesting.com] On > Behalf Of Dino Darling > Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2022 12:39 AM > To: Topband@contesting.com > Subject: Topband: What antenna would you build? > > If you may and you are willing to indulge me; if you were about to buy > 5-acres with no neighbors or restrictions and wanted to erect a serious > 160M > antenna system, what would you build and why? We can pass on the Radio > Arcala discussion; nobody's that cool. > > A loaded 4-square? 1/4 wave stick (or longer)? Phased dipoles? (fill in the > blank)? > > I've seen a 200' tower with three phased dipoles tilted on end. The end of > one side of the dipole was anchored and insulated at the top of the tower > and came down like guy cables. About half way down was the feedpoint, were > an isolated anchor cable continued down the same path to ground (like a guy > cable). However, the second half of the dipole was pulled back to the base > of the
Re: Topband: What antenna would you build?
I like 4-squares Dino. I have them on 15, 20, 40, 80 and a small 2-el on 160... I'm still looking for an ACB-10 (10 meters) (or equivalent) to complete the whole set. If it were me, I'd build whatever it is VY2ZM is using. (vy2zm.com) or 2nd choice, K3LR GL Mike VE9AA If you may and you are willing to indulge me; if you were about to buy 5-acres with no neighbors or restrictions and wanted to erect a serious 160M antenna system, what would you build and why? We can pass on the Radio Arcala discussion; nobody's that cool. A loaded 4-square? 1/4 wave stick (or longer)? Phased dipoles? (fill in the blank)? I've seen a 200' tower with three phased dipoles tilted on end. The end of one side of the dipole was anchored and insulated at the top of the tower and came down like guy cables. About half way down was the feedpoint, were an isolated anchor cable continued down the same path to ground (like a guy cable). However, the second half of the dipole was pulled back to the base of the tower, from the center feedpoint insulator. It looked like an arrowboard chevron or a regular dipole that was turned 90 degrees on its side. The coax was horizontal back to the tower. There were three of these spaced 120 degrees apart and fed with a phasing network to steer it. I understand it works great. So what would you build? Dino - KX6D _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: What antenna would you build?
My version of Tim's array was installed in 1998, with 120 on-ground radials under each element. A few years later I added an extra director toward Europe for an additional 0.9 db gain in that direction. It brought me up to 329 countries on 160, including JT, HS, XZ, VU, A5, BA. After a few years I was looking for something more and came up with a broadside/endfire array that offers about 8.5 db gain over a single vertical. WW2Y/K2WI first used a version of this in New Jersey in the 1980s, with Inverted L elements hung from trees. VY2ZM has one using full-size towers. My version has a footprint of 325 feet by 146 feet, oriented to favor Europe. One of the T-shaped wire elements (no. 12 THHN, 73.5 feet vertical, 58 feet horizontal) is borrowed from the K3LR array, switched with relays. The other three are hung from towers and trees. Each element has 120 on-ground radials, about 130 feet long. A couple of bs/ef arrays are described in ON4UN's book. If you add four more elements this becomes the 8-circle array, switchable in 8 directions (may not fit in 5 acres). N5IA (SK) built one of these in Arizona, still in use by the NA7TB club station. K9DX had a 9-circle array in Illinois for many years, since dismantled. More complex but very effective. 73/Jon Jon P. Zaimes, AA1K Tower climber for hire http://www.aa1k.us/ Cell: 302-632-2353email: j...@verizon.net or a...@arrl.net -Original Message- From: Tim Duffy To: 'Dino Darling' ; 'Topband@contesting.com' Sent: Thu, Mar 24, 2022 1:13 am Subject: Re: Topband: What antenna would you build? Hello Dino, Take a look in the last three editions of the ON4UN Low Band book - in the Yagi chapter. I have described in detail the 3 element vertical Yagi for 160 meters that I am using. Gives over 5 dB of gain (over a single 1/4 wavelength vertical) and the front to back is over 30 dB at the peak. Four directions. It works good for about 40 KHz of the band (great for DX contests). I do have CW and SSB optimum settings for the parasitic elements. W5ZN, AA1K, K9CT, NR5M and VE3EJ have built this antenna as well. It can work omni as well. Requires one tower 120 feet tall and a LC matching network to step up the 25 ohm feedpoint impedance. It is easy to build and very effective. Twice from K3LR we worked over 100 DXCC in one weekend in the CQWW CW contest - from almost Ohio... It does require five extensive ground radial systems (one under each element). The best DX with this antenna was JT5DX in zone 23 during the CQWW 160 meter contest and this past November, RW0A in zone 18 - in the morning local time here! 73 Tim K3LR -Original Message- From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces+k3lr=k3lr@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Dino Darling Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2022 12:39 AM To: Topband@contesting.com Subject: Topband: What antenna would you build? If you may and you are willing to indulge me; if you were about to buy 5-acres with no neighbors or restrictions and wanted to erect a serious 160M antenna system, what would you build and why? We can pass on the Radio Arcala discussion; nobody's that cool. A loaded 4-square? 1/4 wave stick (or longer)? Phased dipoles? (fill in the blank)? I've seen a 200' tower with three phased dipoles tilted on end. The end of one side of the dipole was anchored and insulated at the top of the tower and came down like guy cables. About half way down was the feedpoint, were an isolated anchor cable continued down the same path to ground (like a guy cable). However, the second half of the dipole was pulled back to the base of the tower, from the center feedpoint insulator. It looked like an arrowboard chevron or a regular dipole that was turned 90 degrees on its side. The coax was horizontal back to the tower. There were three of these spaced 120 degrees apart and fed with a phasing network to steer it. I understand it works great. So what would you build? Dino - KX6D _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: What antenna would you build?
Good question. I don't think you mentioned any cost limit. Given that I would put up a substantial self supporting commercial tower ~ 130' tall. Solid legs, 5 or 6' face tapering to 1 or 2 feet. Pyrod or similar. I'd put a skirt on it, 3 vertical wires on insulated standoffs with horizontal loops bonded in, every 20' or so and plow in at least 100 quarter wave 160 m. radials around the tower base. Essentially a skirt fed 90 degree monopole on 1800 kc. skirt feed means the tower can be grounded and used for other purposes at the top -- whatever your interests are. Of course it would have to be sited to allow room for the ground system. Forget about anything horizontal or any kind of dipole on 160. I guess if you wanted to spend a lot, you could do a pair of these towers and phase them. You'll have solid towers you'll never be hesitant to climb; and never have to deal with guy cables, or a base insulator like you'd need with a guyed hot tower. You will get out unless the band is completely dead. It will be interesting to read what others come up with. 73 Rob K5UJ _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
