I am trying to get my 160 meter antenna in the air again and would like some
opinions as we go toward the 160 meter season.
I have a 60 foot tower (rohn 25G with insulated guys) in concrete. the
tower is bonded to three 8 foot ground rods about three fee away from the
base. Large #8 solid coppper wire goes from each ground rod up the tower
and is attached about 4 feet high from the base of the tower.
I have a 80 and 40 meter dipole at 45 feet and a TA-33 at the top. The lot
os 75 feet wide by 125 feet deep.
Last year, I tried to gamma match of the tower on 160, but couldn't get the
job done for some reason. I had enough capacitance tp choke a horse, but
could not find the resonate point. I had the cross arm at 55 feet sticking
out three feet from the tower.
I think that the problem stems from not having enough of a capacitance hat
on the top of the tower...meaning the small TA-33. I did this several years
ago with a TH7 and it worked fine. The tower was shorter too. (you might
wonder why I don't have the TH7 and have a TA-33, but that is a long story I
need to tell over a beer...so I can cry into it.)
Anyway, I am thinking of trying that again, but this time adding a wire
horizontally from the top of the tower out about 70 feet to a tree. In
fact, I was thinking about putting a three foot coil of wire, wrapped on
PVC, out there as well on the end with a 10 foot stinger at the end so the
antennna looks long. Then try to gamma match the whole she-bang.
Now, I know I need to invest into a MFJ meter (I do have one and has not
given me much help as to where this thing resonates. Seems to be
wortheless to me, but....
Any suggestions? Commnets? Please, no FLAMES or cute remarkes.
Thanks
73
Lee
k0wa@southwind.net
Lee
k0wa@southwind.net
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