Wow, Pat, that sounds like a really neat antenna.

I'm going to get on 160 again yet this Fall or Winter one way or the other.

I just wish I had more property, but an inverted L.  like Mike is suggesting 
ultimately might be my best way to go.

73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pat Byrne" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2011 6:54 PM
Subject: Re: Need help in making sense out of contradictory SWR readings


> Probably my best 160 antennna was a home brew vertical, about 40 feet
> high.  A friend fabricated some parts; a floor flange attached to an
> insulator, but I forget just how now, because this was forty years
> ago!!  Between the flange was an insulator, thick fiberglass and then
> another flange, back to back with the first.  These were held
> together by nylon, or some other synthetic bolts.  On top of that was
> water pipe, perhaps a 21 foot length.  On top of that the loading
> coil from an old higain vertical, rewound with a lot of #12 enemeled
> wire.  On top of that, was the rest of the Hygain antenna.  I
> remember the capacity hat, four metal spokes were mounted just above
> the loading coil, effectively lengthening the antenna.  The bottom of
> the antenna was fed with insulated #12 wire to the transmitter, just
> inside the shack, only a few feet from the base of the antenna.  The
> wire terminated in an old broadcast variable capacitor, (Mike
> remembers them)!! and the other side went to the antenna output of
> the transmitter.  I know, transmitter and A M on top of it!!  The
> ground system was a ground rod and a few random length radials spaded
> in to the ground.  That antenna really got out and I could adjust it
> perfectly to whatever frequency I needed with the variable cap.  Some
> experimentation was needed with the loading coil and cap. to get the
> tuning range inside of the range of the cap.
> Wish I had that antenna back again.
> Pat, K9JAu