I live surrounded by central Ohio farmland, and my well (for drinking
water) is 300 ft deep. My soil is mostly clay, and I have had trees
die from too much water. When I dug them up, the hole filled with
water.
So I believe that while a high water table /oceanfront/island
locations are outstanding places to operate vertical antennas. your
local soil conditions are a bit more complex, but can still produce
high ground water levels.
W3HKK uses a 1/4 wave INV-L with 26 radials of assorted lengths ( due
to property line issues) and consisting of anything from #17 Al fence
wire to #12 solid or stranded copper wire) and a single tree that
decided to grow, about 35 ft from one PL)
Somehow Ive had really good success on TB, considering the top of the
L's vertical leg is a relatively modest 52 ft.
Back to my soil: we have three acres, but with only 3-6" of real top
soil, above multiple layers of clay. BUT the clay, being on a
hillside, tends to serve as a pipeline, to keep my soil moist and the
grass green even in summer. ( As it takes many months for the moisture
uphill from my antennas to drain off . )
My first year at this qth ( some 15 yrs ago) I put up a 1/4 wave INV-L
over top of a small walnut tree, which limited the apex to a mere 15
ft!. ...... 15 ft up and 115 ft sloping down to ground level. 325 ft
of coax fed the antenna directly, with an swr at 1.1:1, against a
single 8 ft ground rod and zero radials. I ran 100w at the time and
had no idea what to expect from 160m. So imagine my surprise when one
night in Dec I heard a loud 4X4, and then an LZ. Both came back to my
calls. A month or so later I was on around sunrise and heard a fairly
loud JA CQing. Again to my surprise he came back and we had a
successful qso.
So with 100w and a 15 ft high INVL, I worked LZ, 4X4, and JA as the
crown jewels of my first winter on TopBand. The TB bug had bitten!
Again, with zero radials and a single ground rod! I thought that was
remarkable, and credit average to good soil conductivity. I couldnt
help but recall all the rock and roll AM radio stations I listened to
as a kid that arent very far away in frequency from 160m.
>From those old FCC ground resistance charts of US soil, it looks like
Im in an "average" soil conductivity area. Possibly aided by a 2 acre
pond directly across the street, and a meandering creek passing just
east of my PL, my soil conductivity seems to be average+!
Over the years, as the tree grew I raised the support mast lashed to
it, higher and higher, til it maxed out at 52 ft. Those mil surplus
2.5"x 4ft aluminum and fiberglass mast sections became too unstable
beyond that height, so I used three guy ropes and the INV-L - plus the
tree to hold it in place. Ten years later its still standing. MY TB
DXCC is 182 worked/164 confirmed.
So I keep chasing "The Adventures of George" as he sails from place to
place! :) Thanks George! I know it isnt all sunshine and smooth seas!
But we appreciate knowing your out there listening for us! Plan to
write a book? You should.
Bob
W3HKK
-----------------------------------------From:
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To: topband@contesting.com
Cc:
Sent: Tuesday March 5 2024 12:05:44PM
Subject: Topband Digest, Vol 255, Issue 5
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Today's Topics:
1. [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs (Roger Kennedy)
2. Re: [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs (GEORGE WALLNER)
3. Re: [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs (Steve Harrison)
4. Re: Top Band Conditions, Mar. 4, 2024 (Rob Van Geen)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2024 18:11:34 -0000
From: "Roger Kennedy"
To:
Subject: Topband: [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
But what is GOOD Ground for RF?
I've always presumed that the reason I do so well for DX with a
horizontal
160m Dipole is because the Ground conductivity is POOR . . . so my
Dipole is
effectively a lot higher.
Plus I have always wondered how deep below the surface the ground
matters,
when it comes to RF. (and especially on Top band, where the
wavelength is so
long)
For these reasons I've always been very sceptical about Computer
Modelling
of a low Dipole on 160m.
Roger G3YRO
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2024 13:48:45 -0500
From: "GEORGE WALLNER"
To: "Roger Kennedy" ,
topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; format="flowed"
Salt water, salt marshes, alkaline soil, soil with a high water-table
should
be good.
George
On Mon, 4 Mar 2024 18:11:34 -0000 "Roger Kennedy" wrote:
>But what is GOOD Ground for RF?
>
>I've always presumed that the reason I do so well for DX with a
horizontal
>160m Dipole is because the Ground conductivity is POOR . . . so my
Dipole is
>effectively a lot higher.
>
>Plus I have always wondered how deep below the surface the ground
matters,
>when it comes to RF. (and especially on Top band, where the
wavelength is so
>long)
>
>For these reasons I've always been very sceptical about Computer
Modelling
>of a low Dipole on 160m.
>
>Roger G3YRO
>
>
>_________________
>Searchable Archives:
>http://www.contesting.com/_topband
/> > - Topband Reflector
>
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2024 11:17:31 -0800
From: Steve Harrison
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: [TowerTalk] New N6LF Ground Probe Designs
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
On 3/4/2024 10:48 AM, GEORGE WALLNER wrote:
> Salt water, salt marshes, alkaline soil, soil with a high
water-table
> should be good.
What could be considered a "high water table"?? My water table is
maybe
110 - 120 feet down; but if it were shallower, like maybe 30 feet, I
might be concerned about the soil over it not being "stiff" enough to
rigidly-support a free-standing tower's pedestal dug down some 8 - 10
feet 8-O
Steve, K0XP
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2024 21:26:24 -1000
From: Rob Van Geen
To: Steve Harrison
Cc: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Top Band Conditions, Mar. 4, 2024
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Hi, Steve
I enjoyed reading your QRZ bio.. Raising "antlers" on your desert
"spread".
I love it!
JN1ILK seems to do a pretty good job at spotting 160 DX around
Oceania:
https://www.reversebeacon.net/main.php?zoom=41.95,156.11,0.80&rows=100&max_age=10,months&bands=160&modes=cw&spot_types=1&spotter_call=JN1ILK&continent_dx=OC&hide=distance_mi,map
/>
73 & GUD DX!
Aloha
Rob - NH6V
On Mon, Mar 4, 2024 at 4:39?AM Steve Harrison wrote:
> 9M2AX was heard here very weakly this morning starting about 1345Z,
> until about 1405Z, the last time I heard him CQ. My sunrise
occurred
> precisely at 1412Z. I began calling him about 1405Z but never heard
him
> again.
>
> Was hoping H40WA would use this last day on Temotu to appear on
160M CW;
> but zilch heard here, or seen on the spotting net other than 80m CW
> activity.
>
> Have not heard 9M6/DJ2EH since early last week; he was spotted at
least
> once this past weekend on one of the WARC bands, so is apparently
still
> there. Does anybody know his schedule for remaining in 9M6, or his
> operating schedule? I tried e-mailing but his e-mail addy on
QRZ.com
> bounces.
>
> Am also still looking for DU7ET but haven't heard him since
mid-January,
> when he was very weak. I know he's been worked in Europe over the
past
> month or so, but just hasn't caught conditions good enough for the
west
> coast of NA. Robert does respond to his e-mail, however. He said he
has
> two locations: one on a west-facing beach that favors Europe, and
> another in the mountains which he says has a better shot to NA, VK
and ZL.
>
> 73,
>
> Steve K0XP
>
> See my QRZ.com page at *https://www.qrz.com/db/K0XP*
/> > _________________
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband [1] -
Topband
> Reflector
>
------------------------------
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