----- Original Message ----- From: "Tree" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 10:22 AM Subject: Re: Topband: New entry to TopBand with antenna question
>> I've been a ham for 37 years, but I've spent my entire ham "career" on >> 80-10m (with the exception of 7 countries worked on 160m about ten years >> ago). For the most part, the same obstacle has kept me off TopBand that >> prevents most - antenna space. >> >> My goal is simple - make DXCC on 160m within the next 2 years. >> > > > Hi Mike - welcome to the topband reflector and 160 meters. > > I think the first thing would be to turn you 90 degrees and get you > thinking > vertically. Most any modest vertical with a decent ground system will > kick > the pants off any horizontal piece of wire. > > If you are able to get a wire up about 60 or 70 feet - then an inverted L > antenna will be an excellent choice. Essentially it is a half piece of > wire > - with half of it vertical and it acts like a top loaded vertical. This > and > a couple of beverages if you can manage (and a KW) should put you in > excellent position to work DXCC quickly. > > The Cushcraft 160 meter vertical also works well. I have worked VK6 from > Oregon with 100 watts with one of these. However, an inverted L antenna > will work even better. > > See you in the pileups. > > Tree N6TR/7 --------------------- Never discount the ability of a low horizontal to do amazing things at times on 160. This not to replace the vertical but to augment it. Wire and a coax switch is cheap. Many on here remember the 50' apex and 3' ends of the inverted vee I had here 20-22 years ago. It was especially good at dawn and on very deep paths to the Antartic region. Carl KM1H _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
