[Elecraft] ARRL 160 & Rx antenna

[Mark Schreiner]

Bill and others,

The explanations by Don & Ron were as always right on and very helpful.  
I already knew the answers but enjoyed reading the replies anyway.  I 
still have questions, though, too, so please continue to read on (we get 
there eventually). 

I would like to point out a couple of resources for more info on the 
topic.  First is a book by John Devoldere, ON4UN called "80m DXing", 
oops, sorry, I'm showing my age, it is now called "Low Band DXing" or 
"Antennas and Techniques on Low Band DXing".  I did a quick Google 
search and guess I should pick up a more up to date version of the 
book.  The copy I have is from 1978 and was an excellent resource at 
that time.  Recently looking through it some info is obviously dated 
(comparison of different radios now considered to be "vintage" although 
still excellent rigs even compared to today's newer radios, such as the 
Drake R4B/C, Kenwood TS820, Collins  S-Line/KWM2, Signal One CX7, 
Collins R390, Heath SB101, etc) while other information is timeless 
(theoretical and practical info on the antennas for the most part as 
well as operating practices).  It gives lots of great info on these 
subjects with practical examples from a time honored expert. 

Another book that is about 10 years newer for the copy I have which is a 
2nd edition, although it looks like the latest release that is still 
available is the 3rd edition, but I'm not sure when it came out, is 
called "The Beverage Antenna Handbook" by Victor Misek, W1WCR.  This 
book includes topics on single wire Travelling Wave Antennas & multiple 
wire Steerable Wave Antennas.  As is the case for most ham related books 
it is mostly practical and only moderately theoretical.

Both of the above examples require a bit of real estate, or at least a 
cooperative neighbor.  I convinced my neighbor at one time that the wire 
I proposed to run out onto his property was only used for Rx and I 
guaranteed to him that *it* would not cause interference.  This 
negotiation worked and my neighbor and I still have a good relationship 
to this day (long after I've moved away, although my moving away is not 
the reason for our good relationship these days!).  I've seen other 
installations that have also taken advantage of a "good neighbor 
policy".  Try it, it works! 

Other Rx antennas that are popular lately and work almost as well 
without nearly as much real estate which you should be able to find more 
info on the web include the EWE Array or K9AY loops.  I'm currently 
investigating the latter along with a small magnetic loop (oh, I thought 
it was small for 160m at about 12' diameter, maybe I should make it 
smaller yet!).

Okay, now for the questions that I have.  Having recently worked several 
stations surprisingly easily with my K2 at 5W during the recent Top Band 
contests (both the ARRL as well as the less active QRP ARCI a few days 
before) I am intrigued with possibilities of a Rx Only antenna.  I know 
the old saying that "You gotta hear 'em before you can work 'em" surely 
applies, however, I think that especially when running QRP the station 
on the other end has much more work to be able to hear your signal, so 
they need to likely have an even better Rx station than you have.  There 
were several stations which I couldn't work that had moderate (not 
strong and not weak) signals during this past weekend.  Maybe if they 
had better Rx antennas I could have worked them.  I tried several 
different times hoping that conditions maybe had improved.  Generally 
this was on Friday night while at my QTH Saturday night didn't seem as 
good.  However, my questions (finally) are these:  If I have a great Rx 
only antenna won't I be able to hear many more stations that I probably 
won't be able to work?  Okay, so there is a possibility that some of 
those stations will also have great Rx antennas and so between the two 
of us we may be able to work where previously I may not have been able 
to hear (and hence work) them.  But does anyone have any experience with 
this and care to comment?  I'm not trying to gather this information to 
discourage the attemps, just looking for some practical experience on 
this as part of a "reality check".  I have only so far worked one 
European station and heard very few on 160m, but my experiences on 160m 
with the K2 are just beginning.  The guy I worked in Greece was using a 
1000' Beverage for the USA (one and the longest of 4 that he had total) 
and I think was running about 800W.  With my Carolina Windom at about 
45' that I used on both Tx & Rx I was barely able to copy him initially, 
then as his signal finally improved so that I could copy so-so, good 
enough to copy his callsign after enough times of him calling CQ or a 
few people now and again answering him (while there was several big 
pileups a few kHz above).  Finally when I was sure of his call I called 
him and he came back and fairly quickly the QSO was in the logbook!  I 
remember giving him a 559, which was really a bit of a stretch, but he 
gave me a 569 even though I was running only 5W compared to his 800W.  
Okay, so with enough stations out there with serious Rx antennas I'll 
likely be able to work a few more, if only I can hear them as well, I 
suppose, but I'm still anxious to hear any practical experience in this 
activity. 

I'd also like to add that my most memorable DXing on 160m was while I 
was a kid in Michigan (maybe 1983 timeframe) and using an antenna that 
shouldn't have worked and today with my experience I would likely not 
ever attempt to use it.  However, I didn't know better at the time and 
used it anyway.  It was about a 15 to 20' vertical with a large loading 
coil about 2/3 of the way up.  Not sure where this was supposed to work 
but I put it on a homebrew tripod sitting on a 2nd floor porch and ran a 
single #8 or #10 ground wire (Aluminum from RatShack) to a copper ground 
rod made of 4 to 6' of 3/4" copper pipe.  With my TS820S at 100W I heard 
a large pileup for the Marshall Islands.  Rather than bumping heads with 
guys running "real" antennas and probably most running much more than 
100W I tuned around a bit figuring that the band should be open to that 
area in general so maybe I'd find another station with less of a 
pileup.  Sure enough, I found KH6VT on Hawaii and quickly worked him.  
Moments later I found a station I had no idea where he was located, but 
there was this voice in the back of my head from my Elmer, K8OT, who 
told me "Work 'em first, worry about 'em later" so I worked UV1OO.  I 
then reallized it was Franz Josef Land (look it up if you don't know 
where it is, I didn't originally!  Hint, it is in the Barents Sea east 
of Svalbard and north of mainland Russia).   Wow, what awesome 
conditions, and working them back to back in different directions with 
an antenna that wasn't supposed to work!  I shut off the rig and went to 
bed with happy thoughts rather than risking an attempt to work yet 
another DX station and possibly not getting through.  Boy, times have 
changed as I would take that risk today if I heard such great band 
conditions while using an antenna that "should" work and my trusty K2 
running QRP. 

Sorry for the *really* long email.  Just wanted to offer some 
encouragement & possibilities for one of my favorite bands (especially 
now near the bottom of the solar cycle).  CU on 160m!

Mark, NK8Q
K2 4786


Able2fly at aol.com wrote:

> 
>Julius,
> 
>Would you (or anyone) please elaborate on the use  of an Rx antenna? 
> 
>Thanks
>Bill  K3UJ
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