[LCC] 80 meter antenna recommendations?

[jimbookter]

Hello Mark and Fellow Hams:

I am not here to make recommendations on antenna but only to advise as to what I have worked using an ICON-7000, running 30 watts into a home brew "Inverted Vee" up at only 22 feet.  I guess I am partial to the ole saying, "If I Can Hear Them I Can Work Them".  Of course they have to have some good antennas to hear me with me only getting 30 watts out due to excessively high SWR.  Here are the stations that I have worked these past few days & nights:

20 Sept 2012, 1538Z - 1555Z, 14032.88 KHz, KK4IP, Victor, Shellville, NC.  He gave me RST 559 & 429
21 Sept 2012, 1213Z - 1218Z, 7058.0 KHz, K4QZB, Jim, Auburn, AL. He gave me RST 589 - I gave him 589
22 Sept 2012, 0138Z - 0150Z, 7107.99 KHz, W9EBE, Chip, De Soto, IL.  He gave me RST 359 - I gave him 569
23 Sept 2012, 0400Z - 0405Z, 10106.0 KHz, OK2KJU, Lada, Czech Republic, He gave me RST 569 - His RST 569
*23 Sept 2012, 0412Z - 0414Z, 10103.76 KHz, LZ1737SSS, Gosso, Bulgaria. Gave me RST 599 - I Gave RST 559
23 Sept 2012, 0422Z - 0424Z, 10104.98 KHz, WX2F, Lew, Long Island, NY. He gave me RST 599 - I gave him 589
23 Sept 2012, 0432Z - 0434Z, 10105.62 KHz, RK3R, Alex, Tambov Russia. He gave me RST 559 - I gave him 559
23 Sept 2012, 0438Z - 0440Z, 10106.60 KHz, EW8DJ, Alex, Belarus. He gave me RST 579 - I gave him 559
23 Sept 2012, 0447Z - 0449Z, 10108.56 KHz, LY1G, Stasys, Lithuania. He gave me RST 579 - I gave him 599
24 Sept 2012, 0140Z - 0142Z, 10105.80 KHz, E71A, Emil, Bosnia and Herzegovinia. His RST 559 - Gave me 599
24 Sept 2012, 0309Z - 0310Z, 10808.16 KHz, IK4GBU, Val, Italy. He gave me RST 559 - I gave him 559
24 Sept 2012, 0320Z - 0322Z, 10109.31 KHz, OE5KE, Adolf, Linz Austria. He gave me RST 579 - Gave me 579
25 Sept 2012, 1350Z - 1353Z, 18079.96 KHz, K8ISF, John, Youngstown, OH. He gave me RST 389 - I gave 449
25 Sept 2012, 1442Z - 1443Z, 28020.8 KHz, HA3UU, Janos, Hungary.  He gave me RST 599 - I gave RST 599
* LZ1737SSS's personal callsign was LZ1ZF

All of these contacts were real easy and just fell right into place without any ear strain at all.  I had my output power on my ICOM-7000 set at 100 watts but was only getting 30 watts out.  Gotta fix my antenna system.  Well Gents, I am about out of midnight oil for tonight and I am getting up at 4:30 AM to go fishing over in the Atchafalaya Basin.

73,
Jim (N5NVP)
Cell # 337-344-1725

---- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mark, K5ER 
  To: lcc at louisianacontestclub.org 
  Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 11:21 PM
  Subject: [LCC] 80 meter antenna recommendations?


  Have received several well thought out suggestions. Thanks and keep 'em coming! 

  Among those expressing an opinion, for combo of DX/Domestic, it seems that the Inverted-V is more popular than the flat top. Not too many responses, yet, but consensus so far is: if only one antenna - go with inverted-V with apex between 50 and 150 feet. If able to do two antenna, Inverted-V at 50-75' for domestic and vertical for DX

  For DX, most are liking the vertical with absolute minimum of 8, but preferably 16 or more 25' radials, with more/longer making things better. In a "perfect world" antenna would be 37.5 ohms. QUESTIONS: Since I accidentally ran 75 ohm feedline, can I build some kind of 2:1 transformer for the feed point? Is it easier / cheaper to just make the antenna slightly long and use a vacuum variable at the feed point? I already have a Comtek bead balun kit (whole stack of ferrites over teflon coax) to keep rf off the buried feedline. I will eventually be running QRO, so guess whatever feed I use needs to be a little hefty.

  73,
  Mark, K5ER 


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