On 10/17/2011 03:02 PM, Rich - K1HTV wrote: > Don, > How did you plan to use the 160M loop? If you want to work the locals > (within > 500 miles) a low (less than 100 ft high) 160M loop is a great sky warmer. If > you > are more interested in working DX on the Topband then give an Inverted-L a > try.
Up to a point, this is true. Given that a loop is possible, you can also make an inverted L, and it would work better for DX. A double L may also be a good choice. See http://www.surriel.com/radio/160-meter-double-l-antenna. But sky warmers can do very well, too. I don't have trees taller than 4m (13'). My lot is abt 600 sq m (0.15 acres). This is actually considered large in Europe. There is almost, but not quite, room for a dipole for 80m. To get on the lower bands, I started out with an inv vee, slightly shortened, 15m (45') at the apex and 4-5m (15') up at the ends. I built it for a local sweepstakes like contest, but worked 80m DXCC with it. (Easier from Europe than from the USA.) Last winter, I wanted to play with 160m, and ran low wire to the ends of the inv vee. Seen from above, the antenna looks rather like a 'Z'. Result after one season: 61 countries, including Canada, USA and Tajikistan. It helps that outside my local area of abt 200k inhabitants, population is pretty sparse for 3-400 km or so. There is also no AM broadcasting. This makes QRM arriving from high angles less of a problem than it would be in much of the USA. I'm not arguing that you should build a skywarmer where a low angle antenna is feasible. But it would be a shame not to try *something*, if you can't put up an ideal antenna. 73 Jon LA4RT > > I've had very good luck with two that I've built. The one that favors Europe, > Africa, the Caribbean and So. America has only 30 feet of the 135 feet of wire > vertical. The rest of it is horizontal, ending up around 50 feet high in a > tree. > This Inverted-L is fed with 50 Ohm coax with a 500pf capacitor in series at > the > base of the antenna. Presently there are 16 short (1/8 wavelength, 65 ft) > radials. The second Inverted-L has 60 ft. of vertical with the rest > horizontal, > sloping down to 30 feet. This antenna favors the west and northwest. It has 8 > quarter wave, 130 feet, radials. > > Running the K3 barefoot with these Inverted-L antennas, since I've moved to my > new VA QTH, I've increased my Topband DXCC total from 201 to 222 countries > confirmed running 100 Watts or less. Some of the best DX to the east includes > 4X, S0, 5N, D4 and UA6. To the south CE, CX, VP8/F and to the west FO, > FO/A,T30,T2,KH6,ZL& a number of KL7's to the NW. So, as you can see the > Inverted-L, even without a lot of the wire being vertical, can perform well > as a > DX antenna. It certainly will outperform a 160M loop. > > So, if you are interested in making longer haul QSOs on 160M, I would ditch > the > loop and go with an Inverted-L. If you have a tower, I would shunt feed it, > but > that's another story. > > 73, > Rich - K1HTV > > = = = > > > -----Original Message----- > From: gold...@charter.net [mailto:gold...@charter.net] > Sent: Saturday, October 15, 2011 12:15 PM > To: Elecraft > Subject: [Elecraft] 160m loop experiment a big failure > > I set up a 160m loop in the yard to try one out from all the great reading I > did > regarding the antenna. > > For me I can get it to tune with no problems except the RF in the shack is > terrible. > . > . > . > . > So I thought I would share my current failure while I ponder my next > move or give up on the loop. Ok I wont give up, YET! > > Cheers > > ~73 > Don > KD8NNU > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
