[80m] Antenna Help

[Bill Coleman]

On Jan 7, 2013, at 5:13 PM, Gary Smith <wa1tjb at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I am looking for some advice on a reasonably sized antenna for 80m.  My primary goal is to be able to work DX from the East Coast into Europe and the Middle East.  I do have the linear space, but not many trees for getting wire high off the ground.  Any recommendations would be appreciated.

As others have indicated -- some kind of vertical is probably your best bet for working DX. Do you have a tower? If you do, and you can reasonably put down 16-20 radials of reasonable length (50 feet or more), strongly consider shunt-feeding your tower. The height of the tower isn't critical. I have a 15m (50 foot) tower I have shunt-fed for 80 and 160m. I have WAS on both bands, as well as 62 entities on 80m, and 31 on 160m -- all with 100 watts. 

For inspiration, you can read about this installation on my blog: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com/2009/04/shunt-feeding-short-tower-on-80-and.html

If you don't have a tower, either a full-sized vertical or an inverted L is an option. I have just put up a 160m inverted-L up in Floyd County, GA. It's hidden up in the woods behind the parsonage. So far, I only have eight 125 foot radials, but it is pretty effective. I intend to add eight more radials of half that length and add a trap for 80m. Here's the write up so far: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com/2012/12/160m-inverted-l.html

Ah, but you said you don't have trees. You could still go with an inverted L, using a piece of guyed tubing as high as you can go, then a wire or other capacity hat. With a vertical, the advantage is you only need one support.

The key to success with any vertical is the radial field. Plan to put a lot of wire on the ground. Elevated radials are an option, but they must be tuned to length like the driven element.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Web: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
           -- Wilbur Wright, 1901