View Full Version : What Low Band Antenna is in your back yard
What type of low band antenna do you use for multi-band operation and how is it set up? This info might be helpful for some of the newbies on here!
ka9cwk
12-14-2003, 11:05 PM
I use the Van Gordon all bander. #130 feet of wire fed into 100 feet of 450 ohm ladder line. #Of course you have to use a tuner, but it works fine on all bands on my TS-130SE. #I only have a 25 ft tower so I ran the ladder line up and down the tower and then into the shack. # I use in a dipole configuration, but it can be used as an inverted vee if one has enough tower height. The cost is about 25 dollars.
Ka9CwK
I use a 250 foot rectangular loop fed with 140 feet of ladder line. #Loop is supported by four evergreen trees for an average height of 60 feet. #It works well on all HF bands (160m-10m) with a tuner. #Tuner is an old Murch UT2000 with a homebrew balun made from an Amidon kit.
K9STH
12-15-2003, 12:11 AM
For "all band" I have an old HyGain HyTower (now being marketed by mfj) including a 130 foot wire in parallel for 160 meters and a wire for 60 meters. But, generally only use it on 160, 80, 60, 40, 30, and 17 meters. Have mono-band 3 element yagi for 20, HyGain (now made by mfj) DB-1015 for 10 and 15 meters, and a home-brew 2 element yagi on 12 meters. Also have full sized (but definitely don't run in a straight line!) wire inverted vee (separate antennas) for 160 meters, 80 meters, and 40 meters. Also have a low true "Zepp" for 80 through 10 meters. Then, have yagis for 50 MHz, 144 MHz, 222 MHz, and 432 MHz.
All this on a 70 x 130 foot lot of which about 50 feet is the front yard so no antennas!
Glen, K9STH
K3STX
12-15-2003, 01:55 AM
I use a 1/4 wavelength wire vertical forr 40 M that is hanging above my roof suspended by a tree limb. It has 4 radials lying on the roof. It is a much more noisy antenna than my 40 M dipole up about 40 feet, but the vertical gets out better. I need to get a good loop, this vertical is for the birds, too too noisy.
paul
AB8RU
12-15-2003, 02:24 AM
I just strung a long wire center fed by a Van Gorden insulator, and have it stretched between 2 big ole trees the coax is then buried outside and have not finnished it yet , I mobile on 10 meters anyway.
As the next peice of gear who knows, I will need a tuner but I have XYL activities lately.
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
KC5JSR
12-15-2003, 12:13 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (wm7o @ Dec. 14 2003,16:28)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I use a 250 foot rectangular loop fed with 140 feet of ladder line. #Loop is supported by four evergreen trees for an average height of 60 feet. #It works well on all HF bands (160m-10m) with a tuner. #Tuner is an old Murch UT2000 with a homebrew balun made from an Amidon kit.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Murch UT2000, what a tuner. I run the same one, and they are hard to beat. I run a dipole cut close to 40 Mtrs.
It's up about 40'.
It works well on 75/40/10. I also use ladder line to feed it. At one point, I was feeding it with LMR400, but I found it more difficult to tune.
73'
John C.
N8CPA
12-15-2003, 12:51 PM
35 foot crankup tower with foldover derrick. It's topped with an 11y.o. R-7 (40-10M). I can, and have, force feed it to work on 80 and 160 with a tuner. I may replace it and the feedlines in Spring for something with more coverage. No beams, thank you--neighbors would not tolerate that. And verticals are almost invisible, unless you know it's there.
And at the 33 foot level, I have a homebrew inverted VEE for the secondary rig. I use one rig for CW/Digital the other for phone and SWL. Guess which transmitter gets used most--not the one with the yackrophone.
!!
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KC5JSR @ Dec. 15 2003,04:13)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (wm7o @ Dec. 14 2003,16:28)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I use a 250 foot rectangular loop fed with 140 feet of ladder line. #Loop is supported by four evergreen trees for an average height of 60 feet. #It works well on all HF bands (160m-10m) with a tuner. #Tuner is an old Murch UT2000 with a homebrew balun made from an Amidon kit.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Murch UT2000, what a tuner. I run the same one, and they are hard to beat. I run a dipole cut close to 40 Mtrs.
It's up about 40'.
It works well on 75/40/10. I also use ladder line to feed it. At one point, I was feeding it with LMR400, but I found it more difficult to tune.
73'
John C.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
What do you use for a balun?
I have one of those short dipoles for 160 through 10 fed with 450 twin lead. Also a Butternut H6V vertical with the 160 meter coil.
The dipole is only 20 feet off the ground and works good for the local traffic net on 75.
The Butternut is on the ground and works better for DX.
During the 160 meter contest the vertical out-performed
the dipole.
KC5JSR
12-16-2003, 12:48 AM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (wm7o @ Dec. 15 2003,11:38)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KC5JSR @ Dec. 15 2003,04:13)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (wm7o @ Dec. 14 2003,16:28)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I use a 250 foot rectangular loop fed with 140 feet of ladder line. #Loop is supported by four evergreen trees for an average height of 60 feet. #It works well on all HF bands (160m-10m) with a tuner. #Tuner is an old Murch UT2000 with a homebrew balun made from an Amidon kit.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Murch UT2000, what a tuner. I run the same one, and they are hard to beat. I run a dipole cut close to 40 Mtrs.
It's up about 40'.
It works well on 75/40/10. I also use ladder line to feed it. At one point, I was feeding it with LMR400, but I found it more difficult to tune.
73'
John C.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
What do you use for a balun?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I didn't use a balun, primarily because my elmer always used ladder line, and didn't work too much with me on building one.
He's SK now, and after 4 years of being off HF, I was just trying to get back up and running ASAP.
I a'm in the process of refinement, but I work for my-self, therefore, I have little time to myself.
But I do love the Murch. It makes easy work out of antenna mismatch.
The dipole is resonant just short of 40 Mtrs, I couldn't find anyone to help pull it out and measure.
I locked the wire off and pulled it taught, then cut them the same length.
I'm using some old Bakelite insulaters that came from KWKH. I guess I'm being kinda of frugal, but that's the only way I know.
The antenna works great, and I had it up and running in less than an hour.
In closing, I hope you like your Murch as much as I like mine. I couldn't beat the price, FREE!
73' OM
John C.
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KC5JSR @ Dec. 15 2003,16:48)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I didn't use a balun, primarily because my elmer always used ladder line, and didn't work too much with me on building one.
He's SK now, and after 4 years of being off HF, I was just trying to get back up and running ASAP.
I a'm in the process of refinement, but I work for my-self, therefore, I have little time to myself.
But I do love the Murch. It makes easy work out of antenna mismatch.
The dipole is resonant just short of 40 Mtrs, I couldn't find anyone to help pull it out and measure.
I locked the wire off and pulled it taught, then cut them the same length.
I'm using some old Bakelite insulaters that came from KWKH. I guess I'm being kinda of frugal, but that's the only way I know.
The antenna works great, and I had it up and running in less than an hour.
In closing, I hope you like your Murch as much as I like mine. I couldn't beat the price, FREE!
73' OM
John C.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I do like the tuner, although I have only had it for a few months. #It was also cheap....$40 from the guy that I bought my Henry 2k-4 from. #
You don't have any RF issues operating without a balun? #The kit I bought from Amidon was $20, and the balun is supposed to handle 2kW easily with a 4:1 impedance ratio. #It probably has to be de-rated somewhat as you move farther away from it's designed impedances of 200:50. #I have not actually tried putting a lot of power into it above 40m.
The balun was fairly easy to build, but you do need a little bit of time to spend on it. It's an option for adding a decent balun to the tuner. I don't have mine installed inside yet, but it will fit.
I have 70 feet of rohn 25 supporting an extended double zepp for 80 meters, fed with homade ladder line. It is in a vee formation, supported in the middle. It tunes well on 160 through 20 meters. I make my open wire feeders by stripping romex and cutting six inch strips of pexiglass, I heat the wires with a propane torch and melt them into the strips. One insulating spacer every 8 feet.
gi7thh
12-16-2003, 04:08 PM
I use a reduced dipole for 160M (reduced to 98 feet the) and another reduced dipole for 80M (reduced also to 98 feet but they can be as short as 38 foot) which is the most I can get into my garden. I used a program by AA2KH (now sk). If you type in the callsign aa2hk or k2hq and clicked on the website link, then click on ham software you'll find lots of useful ham programs download aa2kh antenna designer and install then click on reduced antennas and follow the instructions.
I have used 1 1/2 inch plastic water pipe and ten turns to the inch (the lenght of the pipe and the total number of turns depend on how short you need to make the antenna, to hold the coils in place I have drilled holes in the piping and used cable ties. #I made the 80M dipole first and with my ATU can work on all the higher bands getting the full 100 watts out of my FT 107 M. In fact I had a small loop up for 20M which would also tune on 12M one morning while switching between antennas I switch to the 80M dipole and from hearing nothing on the loop and nest of dipoles for 10,15 and 20m I had Japan booming in at 59 I worked quite a few JAs that morning. Since then I have taken down all the other HF antennas and made a reduced dipole for top band and find it's working well into europe.
Well that's my two bobs worth so I hope I have help with this matter.
Regsrds
Terry
KC5JSR
12-16-2003, 04:16 PM
As of yet, I haven't got my worked all neighbors award. I have gone around and asked if they might be hearing anything strange, all I get is strange looks, until I try to explain what I'm talking about.
It does seem however, that my 2 Mtr. rig and my computer doesn't like each other.
So if you dont hear from me on the internet for a while, guess which one got top billing.
Internet's great, but I prefer Amateur Radio.
Nope, no RF in the shack from HF, just VHF. BTW, my VHF antenna is a home brew 1/4 wave, fed with LMR400.
I think it boils down to the close proximity of the rig to the Comp. tower.
Changes are in the works, but it will be this weekend before I can get anything done.
73'
John C.
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KC5JSR @ Dec. 16 2003,08:16)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">As of yet, I haven't got my worked all neighbors award. I have gone around and asked if they might be hearing anything strange, all I get is strange looks, until I try to explain what I'm talking about.
It does seem however, that my 2 Mtr. rig and my computer doesn't like each other.
So if you dont hear from me on the internet for a while, guess which one got top billing.
Internet's great, but I prefer Amateur Radio.
Nope, no RF in the shack from HF, just VHF. BTW, my VHF antenna is a home brew 1/4 wave, fed with LMR400.
I think it boils down to the close proximity of the rig to the Comp. tower.
Changes are in the works, but it will be this weekend before I can get anything done.
73'
John C.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
There are people that will tell you that you can't use ladderline without a balun, although I am not one of them. I think that the feedline will be more efficient, though, if you add a balun to it. If you like building stuff, then I would highly recommend the Amidon kit. It's cheap, and you end up with a good, high-power balun. You do need a few hours to spend on it...probably more if you put it inside the tuner. I've just got mine hanging off the back of the tuner for the time being.
I was using coax before, and with the balanced line, I notice improved performance on 75m, but I notice a HUGE improvement on 160m. The difference on received signals is not as noticeable, but I gained at least 20 dB on the transmit side. I'm very happy with how it turned out.
73..Kent
w3bny
12-16-2003, 05:35 PM
An Alpha-Delta DX LB plus dipole flat top up about 40 feet. Not a big 160 person right now.
I think this post reflects that not one antenna works in all situations. Great comments and I hope some of the newbies are taking notes (like I am)!!
N8CPA
12-16-2003, 09:07 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (wc5rr @ Dec. 16 2003,13:38)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I think this post reflects that not one antenna works in all situations. #Great comments and I hope some of the newbies are taking notes (like I am)!![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Newbies, remember this for Element 3 (or is it 4 now?).
Db = 10 x log.Po/Pi. So when someone talks about a 20Db gain on transmit, he's saying that his signal is 100 times as powerful as it was before he made the change.
!!
WB8NHV
01-12-2004, 08:10 PM
I moved to an apartment four years ago, so cannot use outside antennas (lease restrictions). My first indoor antenna was an MFJ-1621 51" 40-10m vertical (with the coupler in the base), but it didn't work worth a darn with my Icom IC-725--perhaps too much signal loss in the coupler. (Am keeping it, however, for use as a backup to my present HF antenna.) About two years later I bought a Barker & Williamson AP-10A apartment portable antenna, again 40-10m, which is my present HF antenna. It works somewhat better than the MFJ for local contacts (I have checked into a couple local 40m SSB nets since installing it), but I #haven't tried it for DX yet. For 2 meter FM I use an MFJ 3/8-wave collapsible whip (don't recall the model number off hand) with my Icom IC-T22A 1.5-watt HT. Doesn't work very well, though, as my location, even though only about five miles from the local repeater, is something of a dead area for that machine.
# 73,
# # # Jeff, WB8NHV (mailto: wb8nhv@arrl.net)
# # # Fairport, Ohio
For multi-band I use a Lightningbolt 2 Element Quad up 70'. Covers 10-20 including WARC bands. For the price you can't beat it! ~$300 gets you 5 bands.
But my most favorite antenna of all is still my custom made 5 element 20 meter monobander that's on a 48' boom.
Matt
W5LL
K9STH
01-13-2004, 02:39 AM
CPA:
Obviously you missed the comments about DB versus db versus Db versus dB in another thread! W5ALT actually got the "technical" meanings of each of those notations from one of his dictionaries.
When referring to power ratios the "normal" notation is dB meaning "decibel" which is 10(log10[P1/P2]). DB means "decabel" (as well as other things) which is 100 times a "decibel" which comes out to be 1000(log10[P1/P2]). Actually, the "log10" really should have the "10" halfway lower, but I don't know how to do this on this site! Basically, it means the logrithim in base 10 as opposed to the "natural log" or logrithim in any other base.
Anyway, most people know what is intended by the incorrect notations, but, once-in-a-while either a newcomer or someone without any technical "knowhow" gets confused.
Glen, K9STH
160M full wave horizontal loop. Up 20' on top of a hill that slopes off 20-25 degress N-SSW.
It started out as a weekend experiment. I used speakerwire and fed it with 100' of Radio Shack's cheapest coax and hoisted the corners up into cedar trees with mason line. It's been working so good, I'm afraid to put it up higher and replace the coax with ladder line. I counted on mother nature knocking it down by now, but every day when I look out, it's still there!
As you can imagine, on 160M its a regional antenna and a WAS on 80M, but It's worked everywhere worldwide I've heard 40M and above with 50W.
As soon as it falls down, I'll replace it with a ladder line fed 160M full wave made from cheap coax and some homebrew corner supports as high as I dare.
Okay, let me be the one to ask the dumb question. Since when is 160-10 Meters referred to as "low band"? What happened to VLF, LF, HF, VHF, SHF etc? "Low Band" referrers to 30-50 Mhz or did my years behind a desk cause my brain to atrophy?
38 ft tower with a Wilson System 33 tribander, Half slopers for 30,40,80, and 160 meters all coming off the tower which are also useable on 60,17, and 12 meters when used with a transmatch. there is a radial system connected to the tower. Performance is rather good.
73
George
K3UD
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (AG4YO @ Jan. 13 2004,12:12)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Okay, #let me be the one to ask the dumb question. #Since when is 160-10 Meters referred to as "low band"? #What happened to VLF, LF, HF, VHF, SHF etc? #"Low Band" referrers to 30-50 Mhz or did my years behind a desk cause my brain to atrophy?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Well, I'm a newbie to ham, but been around aeronautical and fire service VHF/UHF for quite a while.
A lot of fire service radios are marketed as "low band VHF" between 38-50MHz.
As for HF, I've always perceived low band to mean 160M, 80M and to some folks 40M. But I don't really know where I picked that up. [TROLL ALERT] I'm one of those new 'extra lites', was that covered in the Gordon West study guide? [TROLL ALERT OFF]
K9STH
01-13-2004, 08:43 PM
Well, in the commercial two-way radio field "lowband" is the range between 30 MHz and 50 MHz. "Highband" is the range between 150.8 MHz and 174 MHz. "UHF" is the range between 450 MHz and 470 MHz. "T band" is the range between 470 MHz and 512 MHz. "800 MHz" are those frequencies in the lower 800 MHz range. "896" or "900" is the range that starts with 896 MHz and goes above 900 MHz.
For the almost 45 years that I have been licensed, "low bands" on the amateur frequencies have been 160, 80, and 40 meters. the "high bands" have been 20, 15, and 10 meters.
With the advent of the WARC bands, 12 and 17 meters were "obviously" highband. As for 30 meters, there has always been some question. Since it is closer in frequency (and in band conditions) to 40 meters I definitely do not "object" to calling it a "low band". Of course the 60 meter band falls into the "low band" category.
Now, for many Technician Class operators, the term "low bands" means anything below the 6 meter band! That is, all of the bands between 160 meters and 10 meters.
As for what the industry standard is that is another matter.
Most people consider the industry standard to be as follows:
0 - 30 KHz = very low frequency band
30 - 300 KHz = low frequency band
300 - 3000 KHz = medium frequency band
3 MHz - 30 MHz = high frequency band
30 MHz - 300 MHz = very high frequency band
300 MHz - 3000 MHz = ultra high frequency band
3 GHz - 30 GHZ = super high frequency band
Thus, "technically", the 160 meter band is really a "medium frequency" band. However, most amateur radio operators just "lump" it into the "high frequency" range when talking about it.
As a result, just what is "low band", etc., depends on the point-of-view of the individual amateur. To get "upset" with someone calling any particular band, especially the 30 meter band, either a "low band" or a "high band" is, in my opinion, assinine! But, everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion!
Glen, K9STH
Assinine? Wow, that came out of left field, Glen. I had never heard or read about HF frequencies being called "lowband".
I was fully aware of LB/VHF/UHF etc. and LF, HF, etc. The questions were on my FCC second class test 32 years ago. My question, albeit assinine, was whether my time in recent years behind a desk had caused me to miss something.
WA3KYY
01-14-2004, 03:26 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (AG4YO @ Jan. 13 2004,10:12)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Okay, #let me be the one to ask the dumb question. #Since when is 160-10 Meters referred to as "low band"? #What happened to VLF, LF, HF, VHF, SHF etc? #"Low Band" referrers to 30-50 Mhz or did my years behind a desk cause my brain to atrophy?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
In Ham Radio parlance the "Low Bands" refer to 160/80/40M. At least those are the bands covered in ON4UN's book "Low Band DXing" and how I've always heard them referred to.
Mike
K9STH
01-14-2004, 03:49 PM
YO:
I didn't say that your comment/question was "assinine"! What I did say that was when someone gets "upset" at the lower HF bands being called "low band" is assinine. There is a definite difference! I didn't take your comments as showing that you were "upset"!
There have been some comments elsewhere on this board that indicated that someone was very upset with the terminology. Frankly, it all depends on one's perspective as to what is "low band" and what is not!
However, for many years, a significant number of amateur radio operators have called the 160 meter, 80 meter, and 40 meter bands "low band"!
Glen, K9STH
Hi Glen,
Thanks guys for the clarification and sorry I was side tracked by misinterpretation. I said it was a dumb question. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Although I have been actively involved in communications for 35 years, there is ALOT that I have to learn about being an Amateur. Having the 1st Class FCC and General Radiotelephone helped me pass the test, it didn't make me a ham. Thanks to those who suffer the dumb questions so we can learn!
The term "Low Band" is a term used on SSB a lot. Basically, it means 160-80-40 since most dont' have rotatables for those frequencies, and usually, not always, they are wire antennas.
I suppose I should have started the post regarding 160-80-40 antenna. THen it omits WARC which I wanted to include.
From the posts previously, there are many variations in use by a few individuals out there.
I use a dipole for 80/40 with a tuner, fed with ladder line, fed with coax as it enters the house after transitioning to unbalanced line thru a remote balun (i.e. one outside away from the shack). I also have a sloper which works very well on transmit on 160, but hears a lot of noise too!
Unfortunately, with the sloper on the tower, it interacts with the dipole and I get some funky SWR plots.
KA6UMQ
01-27-2004, 02:20 AM
My QTH isn't the best for HF. #However, I tossed a length of
#22 wire over the tallest tree (maybe 25 feet high), pulled one end into the shack, and tied the other end to the chimney on the house. #This thing is maybe 100 feet long, total. #Running the ICOM IC-718 and the AH4 antenna tuner on all bands, 160-10. #Seems to get out. #SWR is decent on all bands. #Spent most of the money on the tuner (~$300), antenna is cheap (~$10). #I wish I had real estate to erect half wave dipoles. #Conclusion: Buy a good tuner, and use a long wire.
K3STX
01-27-2004, 02:44 AM
I think the "Low Band" is 160 meters, but the "Low Bands" plural include 80 and 40. I guess it is due to their different propogation.
BTW, for the low bands I use a 40 meter dipole.I use it on 80 and 160, and I think I have made a grand total of 1 QSO on each of these bands with this antenna! It is lousy. If DX was better this winter I would have taken the time to put up a nice inverted L on 80, but conditions have been so crummy I will wait till next year.
paul
K0RGR
01-27-2004, 03:26 AM
I have a coax-fed 40 meter loop that slopes from 30 feet down to about 10 feet on one side. Works great on 40 and higher with the internal tuner on my IC746 , and even works OK on 80 with an external tuner. This is not a DXers antenna, but it is very quiet, which is important in my cramped, mostly vertical residential neighborhood.
w8amd
01-27-2004, 10:01 AM
I have a 120' wire 30' high center fed with balanced line and a tuner I use on 40-160. It’s not real good on 160 but it does work on that band. Also have a Hustler 6BTV vertical ground mounted with 16 random length buried radials that I use on 40 and 75/80 meters.
For 160 I use a inverted l, with the vertical portion 70 feet, fed with rg/213 and have 8 counterpoise wire under it. For 80-10 I use a 80 meter OCF dipole at 70 feet, feed through a 4:1 balun with RG/213. I only need the tuner with this antenna on the 20-10 inc warc bands.
I sold off all my yagi toys and can't say I miss them at all.
w0aew
01-30-2004, 02:46 PM
The antenna I slapped together for 160 meters was meant for nattering with friends within 400 miles or so, but it has since proven quite effective for longer distances under favorable conditions.
The antenna is simply a random length of small-diameter wire connected directly to the "wire" terminal of the MFJ tuner. To the tuner's ground lug is connected a 40-meter counterpoise wire that extends around the perimeter of a very tiny yard.
The random wire is slung into the upper branches of a cottonwood tree, at a 45-degree angle, to about the 40-foot level. The wire is then run down through the branches along the trunk to the ground where it is buried for a short distance, then strung along the side of the house and garden shed, then down along another wooden fence line for about another 50 feet or so.
The antenna performs very well for the local contacts on AM, with my 50-watt signal being heard from my location near Denver into neighboring states.
However, during two contests in which I used a QRP rig at 8 watts output, I've been able to contact around 25 stations from coast to coast and border to border in several hours of CW operation.
Propagation conditions, the season, the other stations' antennas and gear, the experience of other the operators, luck, and similar factors obviously play a part. But when this temporary antenna succumbs to the elements, I'll replace it with a similarly configured one made of sturdier wire.
wb4tjh
01-30-2004, 11:38 PM
I have been using an Alpha Delta 80/40 combo fed with 100 feet of 300 ohm Radio Shack twinlead and an external tuner for 80-6 meters. I just bought a new Radio Works 80 Meter Special, 66 feet long, but have yet to put it up. I have a 35 foot telescoping mast on one end and the other is in a tall palm tree. I have had towers and tribanders, but these days I just enjoy keeping it simple and low profile. Most of my HF operation in the past few years has been on QRP CW.
I have two towers with various monoband HF and VHF Yagi's. I use an inverted V on 40M in a pine tree and a four element M2 40M yagi as backup. 80 & 160 are inverted V's.
73,
Terry, K7FE