Re: Topband: 30-Foot Vertical
Topbanders, Thanks for the suggestions, experience, and encouragement. I’ll post a summary of replies in a day or two. Thanks again, Roy > On Jun 4, 2019, at 9:41 AM, Roy Morgan wrote: > > Hello Topbanders, > > I have three 10-fot sections of triangular steel tower, about 8 inches on a > side. > > Is it practical for me to make a useful vertical with these, either bottom > fed or gamma matched? Roy Morgan K1LKY since 1958 k1lk...@gmail.com _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 30-Foot Vertical
I confirmed 120 countries on 160 with a S-9 43 ft fiberglass vertical (base loaded with tapped coil) and 3 – 120ft radials laying on the ground in 2 seasons. Used mostly CW and some JT65 and FT8 with 300w max. Mostly gotta be there when they are !! GL Jay NY2NY _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 30-Foot Vertical
Hi All, I agree with Dave, If one can get 20 feet of mast out the top of the 30 foot tower and some top loading wires to bring resonance to where one desires in the 160 meter band then I would insulate the base and series feed it. It would be only about 3 db below a full size vertical over the same radial system and earth ground below. Feed point impedance will be between 12 and 25 ohms depending on ground losses, assuming at least 2000 feet of radials on ground, or decent elevated radials on a roof. GL 73, George, K8GG > During my 1988-1989 stint as J52US in Guinea-Bissau and 1990-1991 stay > as 9L1US, I made loads of QSO's in pile-ups and contests with a modified > Butternut HF-2V.?? I bought larger tubing for the top section and moved > the top-loading wires higher.?? The antenna then worked well on 160 and > 80 and was not resonant on 40m.?? In both places the antenna was high--on > top of a five story building with radials running on the roof and > running down several stories to warehouse roof in Guinea-Bissau and on > the flat roof of a three story apartment building atop one of the > highest hills overlooking Freetown in Sierra Leone.?? In both places I > had a tri-bander on several sections of tower on the roofs as well. > > I made contacts from Helsinki in the mid-1980's with the same antenna > (stock) but without as much success and again in the mid-1990's with it > modified per the African variant but on the roof of a two-story building. > > You might do pretty well with some top-loading wires and perhaps you > could use a mast to give it a little more height. > > 73, > > Dave K8MN > > On 04-Jun-19 19:14, Mark - N5OT wrote: >> Hi Roy - you mean for 160 meters??? I think there are plenty of >> credible ways to cobble odd pieces of tower together to make a useful >> antenna, especially if climbing it is never something you need to do, >> and if it crashed to the ground it's not that big a deal. >> >> If you're asking if a 30 foot vertical can be made to be useful on 160 >> meters, I think, depending on the definition of "useful" the answer >> can definitely be YES and I can think of a whole lot of QSOs that have >> been made with verticals about that tall. >> >> 73 - Mark N5OT >> >> >> On 6/4/2019 8:41 AM, Roy Morgan wrote: >>> Hello Topbanders, >>> >>> I have three 10-fot sections of triangular steel tower, about 8 >>> inches on a side. >>> >>> Is it practical for me to make a useful vertical with these, either >>> bottom fed or gamma matched? >>> >>> Thanks for advice or experience. >>> >>> >>> Roy Morgan >>> K1LKY since 1958 >>> k1lk...@gmail.com >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _ >>> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband >>> Reflector >>> >> >> _ >> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband >> Reflector > > > > --- > This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. > https://www.avg.com > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector > _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 30-Foot Vertical
During my 1988-1989 stint as J52US in Guinea-Bissau and 1990-1991 stay as 9L1US, I made loads of QSO's in pile-ups and contests with a modified Butternut HF-2V.?? I bought larger tubing for the top section and moved the top-loading wires higher.?? The antenna then worked well on 160 and 80 and was not resonant on 40m.?? In both places the antenna was high--on top of a five story building with radials running on the roof and running down several stories to warehouse roof in Guinea-Bissau and on the flat roof of a three story apartment building atop one of the highest hills overlooking Freetown in Sierra Leone.?? In both places I had a tri-bander on several sections of tower on the roofs as well. I made contacts from Helsinki in the mid-1980's with the same antenna (stock) but without as much success and again in the mid-1990's with it modified per the African variant but on the roof of a two-story building. You might do pretty well with some top-loading wires and perhaps you could use a mast to give it a little more height. 73, Dave K8MN On 04-Jun-19 19:14, Mark - N5OT wrote: Hi Roy - you mean for 160 meters??? I think there are plenty of credible ways to cobble odd pieces of tower together to make a useful antenna, especially if climbing it is never something you need to do, and if it crashed to the ground it's not that big a deal. If you're asking if a 30 foot vertical can be made to be useful on 160 meters, I think, depending on the definition of "useful" the answer can definitely be YES and I can think of a whole lot of QSOs that have been made with verticals about that tall. 73 - Mark N5OT On 6/4/2019 8:41 AM, Roy Morgan wrote: Hello Topbanders, I have three 10-fot sections of triangular steel tower, about 8 inches on a side. Is it practical for me to make a useful vertical with these, either bottom fed or gamma matched? Thanks for advice or experience. Roy Morgan K1LKY since 1958 k1lk...@gmail.com _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: 30-Foot Vertical
Hi Roy - you mean for 160 meters? I think there are plenty of credible ways to cobble odd pieces of tower together to make a useful antenna, especially if climbing it is never something you need to do, and if it crashed to the ground it's not that big a deal. If you're asking if a 30 foot vertical can be made to be useful on 160 meters, I think, depending on the definition of "useful" the answer can definitely be YES and I can think of a whole lot of QSOs that have been made with verticals about that tall. 73 - Mark N5OT On 6/4/2019 8:41 AM, Roy Morgan wrote: Hello Topbanders, I have three 10-fot sections of triangular steel tower, about 8 inches on a side. Is it practical for me to make a useful vertical with these, either bottom fed or gamma matched? Thanks for advice or experience. Roy Morgan K1LKY since 1958 k1lk...@gmail.com _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: 30-Foot Vertical
Hello Topbanders, I have three 10-fot sections of triangular steel tower, about 8 inches on a side. Is it practical for me to make a useful vertical with these, either bottom fed or gamma matched? Thanks for advice or experience. Roy Morgan K1LKY since 1958 k1lk...@gmail.com _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector