22 Different Wire Antennas for the 160 Meter Band

Random Length Radiator Wire Antenna

Image summary: A technical diagram of an antenna system comprising a receiver connected via coax cable to an antenna tuning unit. From the tuning unit, a random length radiator wire extends upward and to the right, while multiple quarter wavelength radials and an earth connection extend downward.

Delta Loop Antenna

The List

the Wall of Shame

Making the List demonstrates you are a Complete Moron

General just being a lid, doing stupid stuff

Moron of the Month Award goes to W.A.0.R.C.R

(topbandham dot com

Audio/List.mp3)

• The award this month goes to egotistical moron Wao-kur

goes to egotistical moron

W.A.0.R.C.R

(topbandham dot com U.R.L) for his 12 hours of one-way Broadcast on 1860 during the biggest 160-meter contest of the year. This broadcast serves no purpose other than to deliberately cause grief to contesters in the D.X window. One-way transmissions are Broadcasting anyway you look at, the man is a Moron.

: A diagram of a Half Delta Loop Antenna consisting of a triangular wire arrangement and a coaxial cable feed. The three sides of the triangle are labeled L1, L2, and L3, with a note stating that L1 = L2 = L3 = /3. The antenna is connected to a quarter wavelength matching section made of 75 ohm coax, which then connects to a 52 ohm coax leading to a rig or receiver of any length.

Image summary: A diagram of a Half Delta Loop Antenna consisting of three wire segments forming a right triangle. The vertical segment is labeled lambda/6, the hypotenuse is labeled lambda/3, and the base is indicated by the dashed line labeled EARTH. Both the bottom of the vertical segment and the end of the hypotenuse are grounded.

Image summary: A technical line diagram of an off-center-fed full-wave doublet antenna. The illustration shows a horizontal wire loop made of No. 14 wire, with each of its four sides measuring 132 feet 2 and 3/4 inches. The loop is suspended between four vertical poles, each 50 feet tall. An open-wire or ladder line of any length connects to the antenna and leads to a 4:1 balun transformer and antenna tuning unit.

Image summary: A technical diagram of an off-center-fed full-wave doublet antenna. The illustration shows a horizontal wire supported by ropes at both ends, with insulators positioned near the ends. A 1:1 balun is connected to the wire at a point one-quarter wavelength from one end, and a 75-ohm coaxial cable feeds the system at this balun. The total length of the antenna is indicated as two half-wavelength sections, and a formula for calculating the total length in feet based on frequency in megahertz is provided as L feet equals 936 divided by F megahertz.

Image summary: A diagram of a Double Extended Zepp Antenna. The setup consists of a vertical mast supporting a wire antenna element that extends diagonally downward to a ground connection. The antenna element is specified to be greater than or equal to three-quarters lambda at the lowest frequency. At the top of the mast, the antenna connects to a coax cable leading to a receiver and includes a 1/4 lambda radial. A 270 ohm, 2-watt resistor, labeled R1, is placed at the ground connection. An arrow indicates the direction of reception is to the right.

: Image summary: A technical diagram of a Double Extended Zepp Antenna, also identified as a 40m - 80m - 160m Short Dipole Antenna. The diagram shows a horizontal structure consisting of two arms of length L1, each connected to a rope via an EI component. A vertical section of length L2 drops from the center of the antenna, labeled with an impedance ZL of approximately 150 ohms. Formulas provide the lengths in feet: L1 = 600 / FMHz and L2 = 103 / FMHz.

: Image summary: A technical diagram of a 10m - 160m Multiband "Z" Antenna. The antenna consists of a center insulator or 1:1 Balun connected to a feed line to a radio. Extending symmetrically from the center are two 32.2-foot sections, each followed by a 7-MHz trap, an 11-foot section, a 3.8-MHz trap, and a final 18.3-foot section.

Image summary: A technical line diagram of a 10m-160m multiband Z-antenna system. The illustration features a central 100-foot, 450-ohm transmission line connected to a 160-10 meter transmatch box. The antenna structure includes two 60-foot horizontal wire segments connected to two 70-foot vertical wire segments, with the angles between them labeled as alpha.

Image summary: A technical diagram of a 160m Linear Loaded Sloper Antenna. The antenna consists of two wires, each 130 feet long, extending from an insulator at the top of a 75-foot tower down to ground anchors. A 80-foot section of 300-ohm twin lead runs from the base of the tower to an L network, which is then connected to a 50-ohm transmitter.

: Image summary: A technical line drawing illustrating a antenna installation with a 1/4 wavelength offset. The setup consists of a 65-foot No. 14 to 18 AWG insulated stranded wire running diagonally from a strain insulator connected to a tower leg via a hose clamp, down to a lower connection point. From this point, a 42-foot monofilament fishing line extends horizontally toward a grounded tower, with a 20-foot vertical offset shown. A 50-ohm coax cable connects the system to a radio. Dimension details include a 55-foot tower leg height and a separate detail showing ties with 8-1/2 inch and 6-1/2 inch spacings over an 8-foot length.

><?=$ Image summary: A technical diagram of a Super-Sloper Antenna consisting of a driven element and a parasitic element mounted at a tilt angle from a nonconductive pole. The parasitic element is positioned above the driven element with a spacing of approximately 0.02 to 0.04 lambda. Both elements are composed of segments labeled as half-wavelength (lambda/2), with the driven element featuring a feedpoint offset by one-quarter wavelength (1/4 lambda). An arrow indicates the direction of maximum radiation extending outward and upward from the antenna structure.

Image summary: A technical diagram of a Curtain Zepp Antenna designed for 160m, 80m, and 40m bands. The antenna features a horizontal wire suspended between two plastic pulleys, with a total length of 132 feet for a base frequency of 80 meters (3.5 MHz) and 264 feet for 160 meters. A feed line consisting of a 300 ohm line descends from an insulator at the midpoint to a 6:1 balun, which then connects via coaxial cable to a transceiver.

Image summary: A technical line diagram detailing the construction of a 160m, 80m, and 40m Curtain Zepp antenna system. The diagram illustrates a horizontal wire array featuring 40-meter traps and insulators with jumpers, connected to an 80-foot vertical ladder line. This line leads to a relay box labeled Bird House, which manages connections to a Tuning House and provides a feed to the shack. An inset Bird House Detail schematic shows wiring configurations for the window line, including connections to the antenna, the shack, and a single-wire feed for 160/80 meter tuners. The system also includes two 70-foot horizontal loading lines positioned 10 feet above the ground.

: Image summary: A technical diagram of a 160m Capacitance Loaded Vertical Antenna. The system consists of a central vertical element 4 feet high, topped with a horizontal capacitance hat measuring 86 feet across and supported by two 76-foot diagonal wires. The antenna is positioned between two trees, with support lines measuring 65 feet and 70 feet. At the base, feed-thru insulators connect the antenna to a "Dog House" containing a 75 ohm UNUN (T1). A coaxial cable leads from the housing to the shack, and a radial system radiates outward from the base of the antenna.

: A technical line drawing of a structural assembly featuring a vertical central pillar with a series of rectangular cutouts. The pillar is supported by two diagonal braces, labeled A and B, that extend from the top of the pillar to the sides. Dimension lines identify several key measurements: F and G represent the horizontal distance from the pillar to the base of the braces; J represents the total vertical height; and I indicates a vertical offset at the left base. The bottom of the pillar is labeled E and connects to a horizontal component labeled H, with a support point K located at the very base.

C.1 — Variable capacitor, 0 to 1500 picofarads, 7 kilovolts.

A, B — Sloping segments of 66 foot, 4 inch pieces of #16 A.W.G enameled copper wire soldered to the top of segments C and D and forming a 45 degrees angle.

C, D — 59 feet of 450 Ω open wire or window line or, alternatively, two parallel lengths of #16 A.W.G enameled copper wire with a 1 inch separation.

E — 1 inch triangle formed by the bottom ends of the open wire line. Solder them tightly at the vertex and connect to C.1.

F, G—Distance between the lower ends of segments A and B from segments C and D, 51 feet.

H — Any length of 50 Ω coaxial cable (R.G-213 in this case). The central conductor must be soldered to C.1, and the braid to the ground radials.

I — Approximately 16 feet from ground to lower ends of sloping segments A and B.

J — 60 feet from antenna top to bottom.

K — Ground radials, 60 one half λ (the more the better — 32 will form a reasonable ground).

Image summary: This technical diagram illustrates the construction of a 160m inductance-loaded shortened dipole antenna. The top section provides a detailed view of the coil form, showing how bridle wires attach to the antenna elements and the coil. The bottom section displays a schematic of the antenna layout with a central feed line and load coils separating elements A and B. An accompanying table lists specifications for the antenna, including overall length in feet, lengths for elements A and B, and the required number of coil turns.

Image summary: A technical diagram of a 160m inductance-loaded shortened dipole antenna. The system consists of a horizontal antenna element buried underground, connected to a ground system above it and a 50 ohm coaxial cable leading to a station. The distance between the ground system and the antenna element is labeled as as high as practical, and a specific length section of the antenna is denoted as f over 234.

Image summary: A technical diagram for a 160m and 80m Morgan-Dipole Antenna. The main schematic shows a symmetrical dipole structure with two arms, each 18.80 meters long, separated by a central piece. Detailed callouts specify components including end pieces (Endstck), a central piece (Mittelstck) with a 50 ohm coaxial cable (Koaxialkabel), and distance pieces (Distanzstck). All dimensions are in millimeters unless otherwise noted for the dipole arms. The top half of the image contains separate wiring and construction diagrams for a loop antenna, featuring a 6 turn loop (L1), a loading coil (L2) with 30 turns, and a wooden base construction measuring 36 inches by 36 inches.

،Image summary: A technical diagram of a 160m DX RX Loop Antenna. The design features a loop with a length (LL) of 51 feet 6 inches and an open capacitive stub with a length (LC) of 48 inches at 1.8 MHz. The antenna includes a 1/2 turn twist at the top and a shorted stub with a length (LZ) of 16 feet 11 inches. The system connects to a 300 Ohm line leading to a balun and tuner of any length.

Image summary: A technical diagram of an antenna system consisting of a large octagonal loop antenna and its corresponding circuit box. The antenna is labeled as an L1 11 turn loop with an approximate 30 inch diameter. The right side of the image provides a perspective view showing 11 complete turns taken counter-clockwise through 2 amp terminal blocks, with ends of the loop exiting through a grommet. The circuit diagram for the box includes capacitors C1 and C2 at 150 pF, dual 500 pF variable capacitors C3 and C4, and C5 at 470 pF, connected to sockets Skt 1 (50 Ohm to receiver) and Skt 2 (optional ground socket).

References:

Antenna Toolkit - J. Carr

Practical Antenna Handbook - J. Carr

More Antenna Classics - C. Hutchinson

Amateur Radio Techniques - P. Hawker

A.R.R.L Antenna Handbook 1990 to 2007

A.R.R.L Handbook 1990 to 2009

A.R.R.L Antenna Compendium

73 Magazine 1970 to 2002

Funkamateur Magazine 1990 to 2011

R.S.G.B Handbook - 2007 - 2010