Searching for an off-the-shelf (or ham-made) 160m RX-only antenna that is SMALL.
Like the ferrite rod antenna inside an AM radio (or 10x that size).
I can find PARTS. I don't want parts, as I am just so weary of having yet another project in the pile (& no junk-box of capacitors).
Anyone have a known-working, tuned (or possible tune-able) antenna for #160meters that isn't a huge up-the-mast whole-back-yard monstrosity, that you'd sell for $50-150?
#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #TopBand
There's a possibility that #breach has some RAB songs on it. Probably remastered maybe redone with changed lyrics. But like.... Maybe !!!
And... some fun on #TopBand this evening handing out a few points in the Stew Perry contest. My antenna is pretty terrible on 160M but it's better than nothing which is what I've had on that band for my whole life.
Radio Propagation
Quite chuffed that I received W1CDO (but not worked - no transmitter set up here) on Top Band (160m) FT8 this morning.
W1CDO is located in Washington State, near Seattle, at a distance of 7616 km from me in Plymouth, UK. My receive setup is a 2m circumference Airspy Youloop at 3m above ground (and behind a 15m tall house), RX888 SDR receiver and WSJT-X FT8 decoder.
I've made a #HamRadio #AntennaExperiment decision. I'm going to switch my #ShortyVertical from #TopBand & instead work on it for #80meters ...& here's why:
My #TuneATenna could only get to the top edge of 75m because of the size of my yard. But I actually have some friends who are on that band regularly. It'd be good to be able to do 3825kHz AM without a tuner.
And my #DxCommander only goes down to 40m. If I get the shorty to work, I'd be set for winter.
I’ve just started another experimental tweak on the #HamRadio #TopBand #ShortyVertical. I took up “slack” in the #MeanderLoading section by increasing the number of zigs/zags from 6 to 18 (triple), & brought the hula closer, so they’re about 6’ apart (about half what they were). I was hoping this would lower the SWR dip down into 160m band. Nope; it rose to 2.58MHz.
Counter-intuitive.
Not sure what the next tweak will be.
Maybe add element length at the base; it’ll have to slope a lot more.
The #TopBand #160meter #ShortyVertical #AntennaExperiment for #HamRadio is probably done for the year. Thunderstorms all night. Wind gusts. The hula-hoops meander-loading part is the highest wind resistance section of it, and morning evidence suggests it done got darned windy. Wire ripped out of SO239.
Next iteration will have 12 or 18 zigs/zags between the hoops, instead of just 6. Use up same electrical length in 1/2 or 1/3 the load length, & keep it lower to ground. Much more lone wire up.
Kelvin n0mql EN35ld
CottonCandie
Tom - KB9ENS
𝑮7𝑰𝙕𝑼 𝑹𝙍𝑫
WA6L