Search results

A conversion of a 80m dipole into a 160m vertical antenna

Over 100 amateur radio beacon audio files are presented, offering a direct auditory experience of propagation conditions across a wide spectrum of frequencies, from 1.8 MHz to 47 GHz. These recordings, primarily captured by IW3FZQ and IK3NWX, document signals from beacons such as DK0WCY, IY4M, GB3RAL, and S55ZRS, providing a valuable resource for **propagation study** and **beacon monitoring**. Each entry in the list specifies the beacon's callsign, its operating frequency in kHz, and the recording operator. This compilation includes signals from beacons located in various grid squares like JN55VF, JO44VQ, and IO91IN, illustrating diverse geographical origins. The frequencies covered span the 160m, 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, 6m, 4m, 2m, 70cm, 23cm, 6cm, 3cm, 1.2cm, and 6mm amateur bands. Users can listen to these recordings to identify characteristic beacon tones and observe signal strength variations. The resource also invites other radio amateurs to contribute their own beacon audio files, fostering a collaborative archive of propagation data. The last update to this collection was on March 24, 2009, indicating a historical snapshot of beacon activity. Accessing the files requires the Real Player software.

Modeling small 160 meter antennas, with a focus on the vertical H antenna

Born as a companion transmitter for the Yaesu FRG-7 receiver has become a stand alone tramsmitter for 160 meters band

A 109 pages presentation in PDF File by Jim Brown K9YC on techniques in operatint the top band from a small lot.

L4B by Drake amplifier mod

Beacon OK0EV works daily from 6:00AM to 8:00PM local time in 160m band from the Czech Republic.

Design for a quarter wave vertical antenna, for the top band in use at V31YN

This page is a short description of the four phased verticals system for 160m 80m and 40m

Pictures of a homemade monoband linear amplifier for 160m band powered by 3 x QB5/1750

SJ2W Contest Station, antenna for the 160 meter is a 39m vertical. This 160m antenna consist of 29m of WIBE tower sections with an insulated base and 10m top tube.

The CQ World Wide DX Contest records page details the highest scores achieved in the CQ WW DX Contest across various categories and years. It systematically lists records for both SSB and CW modes, segmenting results by entry class such as Multi-Multi, Multi-Two, Multi-Single High, Multi-Single Low, Single Operator High Power, Single Operator Low Power, Single Operator QRP, Single Operator Assisted High, Single Operator Assisted Low, and Single Operator Assisted QRP. Each record entry specifies the callsign, the operator's callsign in parentheses if different, the year of operation, and the total score achieved. The data is further broken down by individual amateur radio bands, including 160m, 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, and 10m, allowing for granular analysis of performance within specific frequency segments. The page also includes records for the "ALL" band category, representing cumulative scores across all operational bands. The presented records span from 1948 to 2025, providing a historical perspective on contest performance. This resource also references other CQ contests like CQ WPX, CQ WW RTTY, CQ WPX RTTY, CQ 160, CQ VHF, and WW DIGI, indicating a broader context of contest record keeping. It explicitly states that late logs are not included in the records, ensuring data integrity. The page is maintained by the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation, Inc.

The CQ World Wide DX Contest records document top scores, with the Multi-Multi SSB category showing CN8WW achieving **78,170,508 points** in 2000. These records span from 1948 to 2025, categorizing results by region, operating class (e.g., Single Operator High Power, Low Power, QRP, Assisted), and specific bands like 10M, 15M, 20M, 40M, 80M, and 160M. For instance, EF8R (E77DX) holds the All-Band High Power SSB record with **25,747,775 points** in 2025. Each entry includes the callsign (with operator callsign in parentheses for guest ops), year of operation, and total score. The _CQ WW DX Contest_ also features records for the RTTY and VHF contests, alongside the main SSB and CW categories. QRP records demonstrate significant achievements, such as P40W (W2GD) with 5,097,780 points in the All-Band SSB QRP category in 2000. Multi-Two and Multi-Single categories are also detailed, providing a comprehensive overview of competitive performance.

An introduction top operating on 160 meters band, article appeared on November 2006 issue of CQ, PDF file by K9LA

This antenna is designed for stations having a difficult time putting a decent signal on 160M from small or CC&R d lots. It is a 24.5 ft. vertical antenna, made from three 10 ft. PVC sections bolted together, and half wavelength of antenna wire helically wound around the PVC sections.

Windows shareware contest log program for the ARRL 160 meter contest

In this article the author shows the receiving loop antenna for 160 meters band installed at his QTH. Diagram and movie available. Article in in Turkish but can be translated in english

Weak Signal Audio 160m, choosing a headphone for weak signals reception

The Shoddytenna is a 160 meters band vertical antenna intended for portable use. This antenna takes just 15 minutes to erect on site, can be carried by hand and is ideal for local groundwave work.

Windows shareware contest log program for the CQ 160 meters contest

Presents the official results for the _CQ World Wide 160-Meter Contest_, a premier event for Top Band enthusiasts. The resource details final scores for both CW and SSB segments, offering links to comprehensive articles, plaque winner lists, and club score breakdowns. It also includes access to score databases for individual modes and years, along with "Soapbox/QRM Comments" from participants, providing insights into operating conditions and experiences. This archive spans results from 2010 through 2025, with a forward-looking note regarding the 2026 SSB contest date adjustment due to a conflict with the _ARRL DX CW Contest_. The site provides specific links for each year, allowing operators to review detailed outcomes, including top scores, errata, and all-time records, such as the _SX5R_ 2017 SSB performance. The structured presentation facilitates easy navigation through historical contest data.

An essential kite antenna plan for the top band, Antenna has been tested at half wave and quarter wave.

A dual band vertical antenna for 160 and 80 meters band, on a 18m spiderbeam fiberglass pole. This vertical is a good compromise when you want good performance on these two low ham bands and don't have the space to install two seperate antennas.

An FCP is not magic. It has no gain. An FCP improves an antenna system by replacing more loss with less loss. Some have been able to erect better wires in the air because the small size of the FCP allowed better placement of the antenna.

This magnetic loop DIY site is ment to be an introduction into making DX high quality magnetic loop antennas that will beat any dipole

Spitfire Collinear Arrays for 160 meters band at UA2FW

A vertical antenna for 160 meters band based on the K6MM vertical with some enhancements and modifications on the main capacitance hat

This is a very small vertical 160m antenna that fits in the loft of even my small house. It was built as a way of getting a signal out on 160m for local AM contacts, but the local noise level was far too high to allow it to be used at night for this purpose. However, on WSPR it did a pretty good job with WSPR spots from a very long way across Europe being received when running 2.5W out.

A 3 band dipole antenna for 40-80-160 meter bands, It's made with easily available materials and is designed for inverted V mounting. The antenna is shortened for these bands, but still manages to make contacts in 80m and 160m with stations in Canada and the USA. The construction details are provided, including the dimensions of the antenna elements and the traps. The antenna is easy to build and provides good performance in all three bands. In Italian.

This article presents an innovative homebrew antenna design utilizing surplus ladder line as a receiving antenna for HF and MF bands. The Ladder Line Antenna (LLA) transforms standard 450-ohm ladder line into a directional, bidirectional, or omnidirectional antenna system through different termination methods. The design, which requires minimal space and height, achieves 6-10dB front-to-back ratio on 40-160m bands using a 33-foot length. This DIY wire antenna project offers an efficient, low-profile solution for amateur radio operators, featuring broadband operation without ground radials and easy installation below fence height.

This antenna looks like an inverted L antenna, yet it is not, it could also be viewed as a 160m off-center fed dipole antenna, it looks more like an end-fed 1/4 wave 160 meter antenna.

This 160 meter Delta Loop antenna is made of Hard drawn copper wire AWG 10, the two upper side are 148.5 foot each base wire is 240.9 foot, the feed point at 30.69 foot to one corner, feed with 450 Homs balanced line to an antenna tuner on the ground, then with 50 homs coax to the shack.

Experimentin wire antennas on top band using several type of aerials. This includes a 40 to 160 meters EndFed Half Wave kite antennas and 160m/80m loaded vertical antenna.

Operating within the low-frequency spectrum, transformers serve critical roles in antenna systems, particularly for 160m applications. The resource details the construction and performance of 1:1 transformers built on BN-73-202 cores, emphasizing their use as hybrid combiners or phase inverters for RX antenna arrays. Measurements reveal that these transformers exhibit minimal losses, around 0.12 dB at 1.8 MHz, with variations based on wire type and number of turns. The analysis includes comparative data on transformer performance, highlighting the impact of different winding techniques on frequency response. Notably, the use of coaxial cable for winding improves bandwidth while maintaining low-frequency efficiency. The resource also discusses braid breaker transformers, which minimize inter-winding capacitance, achieving low losses around 0.21 dB at 1.8 MHz. These insights are crucial for optimizing low-band antenna systems, allowing operators to make informed decisions regarding transformer design and implementation.

This WEBSDR runs on Raspberry PI4-8G, Afedri-Net RX for 160m, RTL-SDR stick with homemade SBL1 mixer upconverter and fullsize 160m Delta loop antenna 4m up. Operated from Ukraine by UR5WT, US5WE and UX5DH,

This page provides detailed information on various antenna designs specifically tailored for hams operating on the 80m and 160m bands. The article covers the pourpose and usefulness of each design, helping hams optimize their radio communication capabilities on these popular bands. Whether you are a beginner looking to improve your setup or an experienced operator seeking new ideas, this page offers valuable insights to enhance your ham radio experience on the 80m and 160m frequencies.

This article details the design and construction of a homebrew two-element loop antenna array for HF reception. The DIY receiving antenna system consists of two 30-inch diamond-shaped loops spaced 20 feet apart, offering superior directivity compared to traditional vertical arrays. The design features broadband operation from 160m to 20m bands, requiring only phase-delay adjustments via feedline lengths. This home-built antenna system achieves 9dB RDF (Receiving Directivity Factor) performance comparable to a 300-foot Beverage antenna, while requiring minimal space and no ground radials, making it ideal for suburban installations and low-band reception.

80m Inverted-L Antenna, Base-loaded for 160m antenna. This antenna is not a good DX antenna however within small garden where true DX antennas would be impossible it has performed very well.

This study compares the reception performance of vertical and horizontal loop antennas on HF bands in a densely populated area. Using identical Wellgood active loop antennas and receivers, the experiment monitored FT8 signals over 24 hours. Vertical loops outperformed horizontal loops on higher bands (10m, 15m, 20m), while horizontal loops excelled on lower bands (30m, 40m, 160m), particularly in receiving long-distance (DX) signals. The horizontal loop's advantage on lower bands may be due to better low-angle performance and reduced sensitivity to man-made noise. Further research is needed to fully understand these differences and optimize antenna placement for various HF applications.

After a storm damaged the antenna, W6AER replaced it with a pre-made capacitance hat from DX Engineering. Using hose clamps and conductive grease, he ensured durability. Experimenting with radials and a coil, he aimed for better performance and resilience.

This fall/winter 2 events has happened at about the same exact time. I finally got around to putting up an end fed long wire for 80M (and maybe 160M) The fridge big the bullet and we ended up purchasing a new fridge.

T32TT East Kiribati, Christmas Island Log Search provided by clublog. This is 2 man activity from 6m to 160m

Z2LA DX Pedition to Zimbabwe 160m through 10m band on SSB and CW

WB5NHL describes setting up a 160-meter antenna on a small suburban lot, where standard options like Beverage antennas and 1/4 wavelength verticals require extensive space and ground systems. Instead, Guy Olinger's Folded Counterpoise (FCP) provides a solution. The FCP minimizes ground losses by using a folded wire design, allowing effective antenna placement in limited space. The FCP, fed with an isolation transformer, enabled WB5NHL's first 160-meter antenna installation, offering improved performance despite space constraints.

Recently, at the Ballarat Hamfest, the author acquired an old Marine transceiver for just $10, charmed by its sturdy construction and waterproofing. Made by Findlay Communications in Sydney, this crystal-controlled transceiver had been dormant but was reinvigorated with minor fixes. A manual was sourced, and further repairs were made, including an ingenious crystal oscillator replacement using an Si5351a controlled by an Arduino. The refurbished radio, complete with a fresh coat of paint and added customizations, is now operational for 160m AM and 30m SSB. A successful and cost-effective restoration.

Learn how to build a portable receiving antenna for the 160 meter band. This guide provides detailed instructions on constructing a loop antenna using a coaxial cable RG-316 with SMA connectors. The antenna weighs 1.7 kg and has dimensions of 2m in height and 1.892m in width. The wooden frame consists of four 0.945m long pieces and two 1m long pieces. Perfect for hams looking to enhance their 160m band reception during travel or portable operations.

A versatile digital VFO design utilizing the Silicon Labs Si5351a oscillator chip and Nokia 5110/3310 graphics LCD display, operating from 1-160MHz with dual VFO capability. This microcontroller-based system, powered by an ATmega328 processor, features rotary encoder tuning, selectable step sizes, RIT control, and comprehensive band memory functions. Drawing less than 40mA at 3.3V, it significantly improves upon previous DDS designs' power consumption while offering advanced features like S-meter display, VFO lock, and programmable BFO/CIO offsets. The design achieves flexible functionality through simple hardware implementation and efficient software architecture, making it particularly suitable for QRP and portable amateur radio applications.

This article examines how geomagnetic activity influences 160-meter radio propagation. K9LA analyzes observations of enhanced signals preceding K-index increases. Modeling shows that as ionospheric electric fields rise from 0 to 75 mV/meter during early geomagnetic storms, they create an electron density valley above the E region, enabling signal "ducting" between the E and F regions. This effect vanishes at higher field strengths (100 mV/meter). The phenomenon may explain both exceptional 160m openings preceding 6m propagation and possibly Marconi's contested 1901 transatlantic reception, which occurred during a small geomagnetic disturbance.

John Lemay’s (G4ZTR) review of the Yaesu FT-847 offers a practical look at this all-mode transceiver, spanning 160m to 70cm, including 4m. While it falls short in dynamic range and sensitivity, its "shack-in-a-box" design shines for VHF DXing and multi-band use. Lemay shares hands-on tweaks, like calibrating 70cm with beacons and integrating footswitches for SSB and CW. The TX Inhibit feature simplifies sequencing with external gear. Despite minor flaws, the FT-847’s versatility and mod-friendly nature make it a solid pick for amateur radio enthusiasts craving flexibility.

DX Pedition to Conway Reef by Rebel DX Group. A 2 men activity from Conway Reef from 6m to 160m