Steve:

Will check out the W8JI web site for sure here when I get time.

Also, thanks for the vote of confidence on the 160 meter antenna.

I made some observations in a few other posts tonight, so won't repeat them 
again here.

If you have some gems of wisdom, feel free to shoot them my way either via 
the list or privately.

Right now, I'm going to keep the antenna as is, due to what you have said, 
and due also to the fact that I need to play around with it a bit more to 
get a feel for what is really happening.

73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Forst" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 9:50 PM
Subject: Re: Need helping making sense out of contradictory SWR readings


> Tom,
>
> Glad you got it going.   You are going to find most of the  good stuff
> on 160 is below 1.850.   Of course there are exceptions, and during
> contests things will go higher, but  you will usually find DX at the low
>  part of the band. Your 1.830 is a good place to be.
>
>  Nice to see you worked W8JI.  He has a monster station on 160.   Some
> kind of phased verticals or something.    He worked for Ameritron before
> it was MFJ, and  I think designed some of the amps that are still in
> production today.   Think he also had something to do with the current
> Ameritron/MFJ solid state amps.
>
>  I think you know my friend Paul N4PN from Macon.  He sometimes
> operates 160  contests from W8JI to use those monster antennas.
>
> If you would like an education on some stuff, check out his web site at:
> w8ji.com
>
> 73, Steve KW3A
>
> On 11/14/2011 8:09 PM, Tom Behler wrote:
>>      Not yet. ... He has had some recent medical problems that have 
>> prevented
>> that from happening.
>>
>> Did have my first QSO on 160 last night though.  It was at the bottom of 
>> the
>> band on 18.30 MHZ with W8JI from Georgia.
>>
>> He gave me a 599, and said I had a great CW signal, so I think I'm making
>> progress.
>>
>> The SWR's at the top of 160 are still around 10.1 to 1, but oddly enough,
>> the auto tuner in the TS590 tunes the antenna, even at the top of the 
>> band.
>> Why, I'm not sure.
>>
>> My lowest SWR reading is about 2 to 1 around 18.30 MHZ.  I am still not
>> quite sure where the point of resonance is, but I would think it's in 
>> there
>> somewhere.  I may put the analyzer on the antenna again, although as we 
>> have
>> discussed before, it seems pretty much useless on 160 meters because of 
>> the
>> nearby local A M broadcast station.
>>
>> So, in summary, the bottom line is that the 160 meter sloper now tunes
>> throughout the band with the TS590, and I'm at least making some 
>> contacts.
>>
>> I think there is some tweaking to do, and I won't feel totally 
>> comfortable
>> until I find out exactly where the antenna is truly resonating, and 
>> whether
>> my measured SWR readings are really accurate.
>>
>> 73 from Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Gerry Leary"<[log in to unmask]>
>> To:<[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 7:20 AM
>> Subject: Re: Need helping making sense out of contradictory SWR readings
>>
>>
>>> did The man who designed them come to help you?
>>
>>
>>
>