[NLRS] 160 meter vertical

[Dave Aho]

I know that this is HF and not NLRS related per se,
but If any of you have done any HF work in this area,
please let me know and give me some ideas.

Well, I have a few thoughts rolling in my head to get
done by the 160 meter contest...any hints would be
appreciated.

  Remember I am in a trailer court...the antenna is to
be mounted on a tilt up tower unit on a utility
trailer  I really have no way of running a bunch of
ground radials out at the base or even a long
counterpoise...I might, but I have to worry about the
somewhat rare but present little kids running through
the yard down here....they don't believe in following
the caution tape...they just ignore it all...anyhoo 
here is my plan as follows:

  tower is 2 sections of rohn 20/25...I will have
masting pipe on top of that by about 8-10 feet (maybe
more)...attached to this masting is going to be the
mounting clamp for the antenna (ground side connected
to tower).  THe antenna as I visualize it is going to
be PL-259 fed at the bottom of a loading coil (3.5 to
4.5 inches diameter of either PVC or Carboard tubing
of a to be determined length) to be wound to produce
the end result of a 5/8 wave antenna overall length. 
I am thinking af AWG12 or 14 wire for the
windings...does it have to be bare wire, or can it be
insulated? On top of the loading coil is going to be a
3/8-24 threaded nut so I can put a 102" whip (either
fiberglass which I have a few of, or Stainless which I
need to buy...or an equivalent 10/11 meter 1/4 wave or
longer mobile whip.)  I could also thread on my 40
meter coil/whip for the Valor AB-5 mobile antenna if I
wish I suppose, but I am thinking not.  I know this is
going to be a marginal antenna...being physically
short, but I am making it electrically 5/8 wave...or
1/2 wave if that would work better for multiband
work..(as in 80 and 40 meters) as I  notice at least
with 2 meter and 10 meter that the gain is
considerabley more even with loading coils over the
1/4 wave antennas.

   Please let me know...I am trying to be as simple as
possible, with no extraneous other coils, matching
networks, ground radials and such as it is to be used
as a mobile antenna also (under the 13'6" rule) if I
wish.  I will also add that I do have a 160 meter
capable tuner for the shack also...so the match does
not have to be super perfect...and bandwidth is not
really an issue as I am used to returning per freq.  I
am maybe going to make the prototype this weekend to
get on the lower bands for SS, so hopefully you can
feed me info by then.  Thanks all.



=====
73, and all that jazz,


                 Dave...N9TTX


Always remember:  "It could be worse.....it could be raining."
                             Marty Feldman from "Young Frankenstein"

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