This morning I decided to camp out on 10.124 and work on other projects for a few hours wiating for them to call CQ. I knew they would - I just had to be there. If you didn't get them in the first few minutes they started working JAs and no more stateside. Finally heard them call CQ @ 0730z I got them on 2nd call. So, I stayed up a while longer while 30m was getting strong to EU.

Well, at least you have the west side 

I have dipoles situated NW/SW and NW/SE and a delta loop for 17m pointed N/S main for over the pole. It's a lot of wire and feedlines. Everything is close to the house so feedlines are 75-100'. Except for my 30m dipole (E/W) that's further away and up about 80'. That feedline is 175' but it's a killer antenna.

This winter I'm going to build either a fan dipole or trapped dipole to see if I can combine a few of those antenna and eliminate a few feedlines. Probably will attempt a 17m/12m/10m dipole. If I can eliminate some wire maybe I can put my 80m skywire back up -- really like having that as an option. On the upper bands it has some great lobes if they are in the right direction.

-Milt

Having a dipole for 30m and 17m that you can rotate should work very well. For now I'm stuck with multiple dipoles in trees, several for each back oriented in different directions. All up 50' or more. Big difference switching to the "correct" antenna. For basic stations running 100w, this really helps pull in the tough ones.
-Milt

Good signals into Atlanta last night and today. Got them on 17m and 30m last night and 10m today. Everyone should be able to work them. Longest time in the pile up was 40 mins, shortest time was 10 mins. All CW.

You don't always have to run the ladder line into the shack. Many (myself included) have the balun outside and a short run of coax to the tuner. However, if you were using a true balanced line tuner you'd run the ladder line into the shack. The old style knife switches can be used to disconnect the line.

If I had to put up only 2 antennas it would be an 80m loop and an 80m doublet, both as high as possible and fed with ladder line and a tuner. Well, I might replace the 80m doublet with an inverted L with a base mounted auto tuner. The other option for a 2nd antenna might be a ZS6BKW.

The actual length won't be that critical with ladder line and a tuner, and actually is easier to match on the even harmonics if the length is a bit long at the fundamental freq. The big loop works rather well for the higher frequencies with an overhead null. There will be some gain at lower angles, but also nulls in between those lobes.

That being said, I had pretty decent results on 80/40 with my loop for local work. Having two antennas gives you a few options.

-Milt

I was on 17m around midnight last night (0400Z) working some nice Pacific openings. After signing with a WH6 I heard another station call me. It was E51AND down in the S. Cook Islands. Well, this was no ordinary QSO. Seems that the op (Andy) was marooned on Palmerston Atoll (OC124) due to some type of major damage to their ship. They don't expect to be rescued until mid-September. The locals are providing assistance.

It's a real Gilligans Island story -- well, amost.

Look up E51AND on qrz.com to read the whole story.

73, Milt WA4FNG

I use wire rope clips (google it...) when I need to attach a support at a midpoint in a wire antenna. Just make a small loop with the wire and attach a small clip. Tighten the nuts and then attach to support rope or insulator.

If you were to use a fan dipole as an example a foot apart should be OK. As far as interference goes, it is what it is. Close is close when they're mounted on the same mast. BTW, who has control of the rotator? ;-)

Jason,

The tower is likely to influence the pattern of the vertical. Not my personal experience (no tower) but have read this comment from others. With a tower you could try slopers into several directions.

-Milt

Jason,

You will learn a lot by building antennas. However, it's very helpful to have at least one other antenna for the same band for comparison. The basic dipole, at a decent height, is a very good reference antenna. As was mentioned earlier, it's hard to beat a dipole at decent height for DX. However, a vertical could reach a distant station that is off the end of your dipole. Build it, try it out -- great experience.

73, Milt

I like wire antennas and use them to work a lot of DX. Over 200 countries logged over last 18 months running 100w. I have use 80m loops and when the lobes are in the right direction it's great, especially on 10m. But, not much going on these days on 10m. I work mainly 30m and 17m, and a little 20m. 20m DX can be tough if your in a pile up and everyone around you is running amps and yagis on tall towers. 30m and 17m has a more level playing field.

I have separate antennas for each band. And 3 just for 17m -- each for a different direction. 2 dipole and a delta loop aimed N/S for working over the pole towards Russia. You do get some signal off the ends of a dipole, but if you have 2 you can cover 4 directions really well.

For 40m I have one delta loop hanging out of a tree. Nothing for 80m at this time.

I think having one 80m loop, fed with ladder line and a tuner is a great all purpose antenna. If can work some serious DX on the upper bands and let's you play on the lower bands as well. On 80m the loop has a high TOA, but 40m and up the TOA drops the higher you go. But as mentioned earlier, lobe/nulls develop.

Put one up -- you'll love it.

Milt

In Atlanta we're lucky to have several Fry's Electronics stores. Who needs to visit a Radio Shack? It is a shame. My first job as a teenager was working at a strore called Parts Unlimited. Very much like a RS store but carried very high end hi-fi gear. I think they were a franchise operation. I swept up the store and worked back in the TV repair shop on the weekends. Also helped with TV antenna installs. That was a big deal back in the 60s.

The trick BYU referred to for making the 40m dipole work well on 15m CW part of the band is to add a 2' dangling wire on each side of the dipole. The location of the wire would be 1/4w on 15m from the center. The way I did it was to carefully remove insulation on the main wire and solder on the extra piece. Good idea to waterproof the connection to keep water from creeping in under the insulation. The extra wire works like end loading on 15m but doesn't effect the 40m portion.

Have you considered a HyTower vertical?