[CVCC] New 160 antenna - W4PM

[H. M. Motley, Jr,]

I've noticed how well DXpeditions do when using Vertical antennas mounted near the salt water.  I have a lake behind the house and although it's not salt water I thought perhaps it could somehow enhance my signal.  Since being close to the water is good then being in the water may be better.

Not being a fan of vertical antennas,  I decided to go with a full wave horizotal loop mounted 1 meter below the water surface.  I obtained a number of long bamboo poles, made up a full wave 160m loop of insulated red wire, attached it to the poles 1 meter from the top and drove the poles down into the lake bottom.  I found red covered wire to have a slight gain over black covered wire - Re: my previous article on the RED HOT RADIATOR.

I used a delta configuration to save time and one pole, attached 250 feet of open wire line to the antenna being careful to waterproof the connection, attached the other end to my balanced tuner and fired up the rig.  Making near field measurements with the help of a friend, Alfred E. Newman, it was determined that the signal strength was at least 12 dB above that of my normal in-the-air antenna!  Comparative tests with EU stations showed a least one S-unit improvement. I was also able to work JT1CO on 160 for the first time although the signal was marginal but readable. In comparison with W4DR who has a full size 4 square on 160 I was only 2 S-units down from his signal.  Part of that difference comes from his 1.5 KW versus my 400 watts.  This suprised me because being a horizontal loop I did not expect such good results on low angle signal propagation. 

Another benefit of this antenna is its outstanding low noise receive performance. I can hear stations on 160 now that I could never dig out of the noise before.  

If you have access to a lake give the W4PM underwater 160 loop a try.  You will be glad you did. Perhaps a square or circular loop would be even better but would require more poles. 

73,
Puck W4PM