Topband: 2W ceramic 470 ohm Resistors

Mouser 10 pack for $16.20 http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Ohmite/OY471KE/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMvmQ%252bOLa8n%2fM0AL619UxluYs%252bchll6qvbU%3d Put a 75V 10 kA GDT in parrallel with it. 10 pak at $1.41 and it will last a long long time. http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/EPCOS-TDK/EC75X/?qs=sGAEp

Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

This is the time of year that many of us in the Northern Hemisphere have been waiting for.    DX is coming up, long and stronger. Many 'old timers'  have their antennas  "ready to roll".   New comers to the band may want an inexpensive starter receive antenna, If there is space a beverage is

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

I am in that category only having put up inverted L for 160m as an extension on my 40m quarterwave vertical recently. Receive antennas are Wellbrook loop and a couple of 40m beverages point NE/SW on top of a 7 foot high boundary wall. This was only put in place in the summer so yet to try my fir

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

I Have an inv V hanging off of my 70 foot tower. Because I live on a suburb lot the legs of the antenna are bent to fit the lot (really ugly). I have worked DXCC (119) with that minimal antenna. It can be done but you have to be patient. 73 Joe K2UF -Original Message- From: Topband

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

My starter antenna for topband is still the only transmit antenna I have for 160. About 100' sloper off the top of a 40' tower with the distant end about 8' off the ground supported from a tree. Of course a tuner is used and don't know what the effective radiaited power is, but I have manag

Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

Hi Paul,   Glad you are ready to work DX   Are the Beverage antenna transformer and termination resistor  close to the ground rods, with short interconnect wires.?   Are your coax cables buried to help with noise pick up.?   Some of the small metal loops are not as good as the larger wire home

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

I have good luck with a pennant antenna, using a DX Engineering pre-amp at the antenna. I live in a densely populated suburb, where it seems like every neighbor has every RF noise-maker ever invented, and the antenna does a pretty good job except for neighbors that are right off the front end o

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

Bruce, Yes, yes and yes. 9:1 transformers, beverage friendly resistors (cant remember the exact spec) with about 1" connection to the ground rods. Ground rods not that long but shallow clay bed here anyway and a mossy lawn due to the lack of drainage so fair conductivity. Coax is just pushed about

Topband: RX / TX antenna switching

I will appreciate your advice in the best (but simple) way to switch between RX and TX antennas for a transceiver that does not have a separate RX antenna input. The system should be able to switch from RX antenna to TX antenna when PTT is applied (and vice versa) but also allow to switch betwe

Re: Topband: RX / TX antenna switching

I use the DX-Engineering RTR-1 which is the easiest and best solution IHMO. It even provides protection by locking the RX portion out on Transmit by loop the PTT amp cable. I have two of these units now and use them on all the Icom radios. They even have a special momentary toggle for check t

Topband: Flag close to tower?

I am thinking of trying a rotatable flag for 160. I have a small lot and the farthest distance I can install the flag from my tower is 35 feet. Since it will be rotatable I assume I can aim the null at the tower to minimize any intereaction. Is it worth trying or not ? I read somewhere that th

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

    The rorary Flag antenna by WB6RSE was in March 2011, QST magazine. He has done exceeding well receiving with his Flag antenna on 160 meters..   73 Bruce-k1fz     On Thu, 22 Sep 2016 17:07:31 +, Arthur Delibert wrote: I have good luck with a pennant antenna, using a DX Engineer

Re: Topband: Flag close to tower?

    WB6RSE has done exceedingly well with his Roof Mounted  rotatable Flag antenna that is very close to his transmit vertical.   See March 2011 QST magazine.   73 Bruce-k1fz On Thu, 22 Sep 2016 10:52:25 -0700, Bob K6UJ wrote: I am thinking of trying a rotatable flag for 160. I have

Re: Topband: RX / TX antenna switching

Hola Gabriel great product and great support from DXE or KD9SV https://www.dxengineering.com/search/product-line/kd9sv-products-sv-dxiiss-dxpedition-ii-receive-antenna-switches 73, Jorge CX6VM/CW5W 2016-09-22 14:27 GMT-03:00 Gabriel - EA6VQ : > I will appreciate your advice in the best (but si

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

Success also depends a lot on your location. Working 119 DXCC from a 70' inv vee from NY is a whole lot easier than doing it, for instance, out here in the Midwest (Iowa).YMMV. . .73. . .Dave, W0FLS -Original Message- From: Joe K2UF Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2016 11:45 AM To:

Re: Topband: RX / TX antenna switching

ea6vq...@dxmaps.com Gabriel, View two products from MFJ enterprises, MFJ-1707 and MFJ-1708. 73, Charles, W2SH *** From: Topband on behalf of Gabriel - EA6VQ Sent: Thursday, Sept

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

    Good Info Dave, Thanks.  In Maine, one contest Weekend, about year 1999-2000  worked 103 countries. Lots of countries in Europe not that far away in the Northeast direction. 73 Bruce-k1fz On Thu, 22 Sep 2016 14:49:04 -0500, daraym...@iowatelecom.net wrote: Success also depends a l

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

i just planted my first topband antenna. a homebrew extended length butternut 2 v with homebrew tbr160 coil on a 30 feet pushup mast to help me squeeze a slooping radial in my 40 feet x 45 feet tiny terrace. i was able start my 160m dxcc ac with a ua4 on lotw. Want to add one more hf9v and convert

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

I wish I could hear that good in texas. Steve WS5W On Thu, Sep 22, 2016 at 3:35 PM, K1FZ-Bruce wrote: > > > Good Info Dave, Thanks. > In Maine, one contest Weekend, about year 1999-2000 worked 103 > countries. Lots of countries in Europe not that far away in the Northeast > direction. 73 > Br

Re: Topband: RX / TX antenna switching

A second for the RTR-1. Well built and reliable. 73 Kevin K3OX - Original Message - From: Herbert Schoenbohm To: topband@contesting.com Sent: Thu, 22 Sep 2016 13:35:12 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Topband: RX / TX antenna switching I use the DX-Engineering RTR-

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

160 is a great band. My first contact was in Texas with 40 watts of AM on a Viking Ranger in 1957 with a station in Kansas. I thought that was great DX. Many years later, with over 200 countries worked, I am happy that I am here on the East Coast in Virginia when the DX comes rolling in from Eur

Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

To: Aravind Balasubramanian Hello Aravind,   If phased on 160 the close spacing creates many problems for the phasing and very low impedances.   Coax cables  need to be different length than 80 meter cables.   Years ago I had phased on 80 meters, and switched  to to a non phased on 160. Use

Re: Topband: 160 meter starter antennas

If people were working and logging V63KS, they weren't really copying him. He's signing V633KS. He came up out of the noise (and the noise from the east died with the rising sun) and I worked him about 15 minutes after SR in Tucson. 579 on my starter antenna, inverted-vee, apex at 45 feet, en

Re: Topband: RX / TX antenna switching

The RF Sense MFJ type of switch box are cheap but do have limitations. The DX-Engineering RTR-1 is a bit more money but is considerably more user friendly with some added features like being able to check the RX antenna vs the TX antenna either with a momentary toggle switch or with the same

Re: Topband: W0CM Coaxial Quarter Wave 160M RX Antenna

Mark, I think you are talking about this RX antenna. I would like to know more about it. http://lists.contesting.com/_topband/1996-10/msg00137.html Bob K6UJ On 9/21/16 6:01 PM, Mark K3MSB wrote: Hello All -- Do any of you have any experience with this antenna ? 73 Mark K3MSB __

Re: Topband: W0CM Coaxial Quarter Wave 160M RX Antenna

Hi Bob Thank you for your post.In addition to the link you provided, the only other info I have for this antenna is from http://lists.contesting.com/_topband/1996-10/msg00146.html and http://www.kcdxclub.com/LOW%20BAND%20RECEIVING%20ANTENNAS-1.pdf (pages 21-22). I've been in email contact