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Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment.

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Old 24th Jun 2014, 9:46 am   #21
Peter.N.
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Default Re: 160M Do many use it and what aerial?

Quote:
Originally Posted by HamishBoxer View Post
Yes, i remember the Loran and "fishphone" back in the 1960,s.

180M dipole Peter is certainly some length.
Space is not a problem here Hamish neither is QRM as we are out in the wilds but the length of the antenna is limited by weight. I am using insulated telephone wire, donated to me by a BT engineer, although the gap between the selected trees is nearly twice that length I have had to use polypropylene rope for the rest, otherwise it would probably pulled the trees/tower down.

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Old 24th Jun 2014, 10:13 am   #22
Junk Box Nick
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Default Re: 160M Do many use it and what aerial?

160m was the first amateur band that I encountered back in the late 60s. It was the last repository of AM so was easy it hear amateur stations on a primitive receiver. I remember the local nets with fondness but about 20 miles seemed the limit. When I got a better receiver - a Codar T28 - I started listening for SSB DX and heard the length and breadth of the British Isles.

Amateurs back then seemed to use end fed wires or verticals. With an end fed you just put out as much wire as you could, looping it up or down in a small garden. A typical vertcial arrangement was to mount a loading coil beneath a tank whip at the top of the mast.

Another popular arrangement was to strap the feeder of a full size G5RV and use it as a vertical T against earth.

I don't have an external aerial these days but I do hear signals on my RA117 with a bit of wire hung up in the room. Any listening has to be outside of my immediate neighbour's TV watching hours.

Last edited by Junk Box Nick; 24th Jun 2014 at 10:15 am. Reason: clarification
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Old 24th Jun 2014, 2:07 pm   #23
G4YVM David
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Default Re: 160M Do many use it and what aerial?

I use it a lot in the winter (CW only). I have a 50 ft high inverted L and last year whillst the ground was as soggy as a sponge I buried 30 10m radials.

I also had a new puppy...we are down to 28 10m radials and 2 of indeterminate length. Bury 'em deeper next time.


I also have an active Rx loop which when hoisted aloft works well on the 2nd Rx port .

Topband is a fabulous band.


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Old 25th Jun 2014, 9:16 pm   #24
Station X
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Default Re: 160M Do many use it and what aerial?

There are a couple of stations in QSO on 1.963 MHz LSB right now.

EDIT. It's the RAOTA Net:-

http://www.raota.org/radionets.htm
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Old 26th Jun 2014, 10:17 am   #25
G6Tanuki
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Default Re: 160M Do many use it and what aerial?

If there are plans for a "vintage net" on Top Band sometime I'd be an interested participant.

(I can do AM and USB from 1950KHz upwards but like most military gear the '320 doesn't have LSB, and the synth sometimes unlocks below 1950KHz).
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Old 4th Jul 2014, 4:50 am   #26
Johnnycr100
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Default Re: 160M Do many use it and what aerial?

Dear Roger,

So many thanks for finally clarifying the Top band jungle bells noise, I first heard it in Weston Super Mare at S9+ on my mates CR100 and had been wondering for the best part of 40 years what that noise was. Now I know. Many thanks, that's a load off my mind!!

Regards, Johnny.
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Old 4th Jul 2014, 9:06 am   #27
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Default Re: 160M Do many use it and what aerial?

S10+ or QRN here in essex. I find that most reasonable quality SMPSUs are tolerable but all can be spoilt by a single far eastern cheapie. These seem to radiate for quite a substantial distance. Generally they are supplied with cheap external hard disk drives or as a replacement for a broken laptop charger....

There are a few signals on 160 from locals here at various times of the day. 4FCX being the strongest And in days gone by there was the AMPS net originated by Tony 4IOP or the shaving club with 3KPJ.......

Does anyone remember the 1.902mhz beacon that used to be in the middle of the band? It was a great aid in my younger days when modifying broadcast receivers for my favourite band.

I am very limited in aerial configuration now. Single wire strapped around the garden fence. Far too many modern devices are wide open to 160AM transmissions so I'm confined to listening.
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Last edited by pichacker; 4th Jul 2014 at 9:13 am.
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