Topband
[Top] [All Lists]

TopBand: 160/80 shunt fed tower?

To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: TopBand: 160/80 shunt fed tower?
From: km1h@juno.com (km1h@juno.com)
Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 18:21:26 EST
Tnx for the info Charles....I'll dig out that '94 article.

I have found here that even elevated radials require more than 4 for me
on 160. 

I have a pair of full size 1/4 wave for 160M hanging from the top guys of
a 170' tower. Roughly 60' apart at the top and 135' down below which is
about 12' above what I call real ground...if I can walk on it then it is
real.  Im the guy that originally told ON4UN about this concept years
ago.

Im also the guy that installed the first "Slinky Toy" beverage in 1985 or
so on a joke/dare QSO with  Jeff, K1ZM. Its still my best 160M antenna!

With some HP  test equipment I found that 6 radials barely met the
required radiation resistance. Ive since increased to 12 radials under
each wire and can see/hear/notice  the difference.  The phasing is very
basic and very close to the ON4UN suggestion of 70 deg of coax. It is all
coax and no fancy coils, caps, etc.; just a pair of cheap DPDT open frame
relays to go NE, SW or Broadside.  The f/b averages 15dB and exceeds 30dB
under some condx.  My whole system is 75 Ohms and I use CATV RG11 for
phasing and .75" hardline for the 300' run to the shack.

The amp here is just an old Amp Supply LK-500 that barely makes 1200W on
160M. I drive with a highly modified (PIN Diodes, etc) TS940. RX is 6
Beverages. 

Bottom Line:  258 DXCC cfmd and 38 Zones on 160;  301 cfmd and all 40
Zones on 80 (Inv V only, no verts). The 5BWAZ award on the wall. (First
and still the only station with 5BWAZ fm the northern NE states of NH,
ME, VT). A lot of hours went into that...mostly getting mosquito and
hornet bites!  

With a bunch of kids distracting me this msg "kinda" fragmented...wrote
it over 4 hours! Im always open to 160 discussions and figure Ive a lot
to learn.

73...................Carl 

--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/topband.html
Submissions:              topband@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  topband-REQUEST@contesting.com
Sponsored by Akorn Access, Inc & KM9P

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>