CW on 160 meters

[KK4RF]

Gentlemen:
     I've been thinking of trying to get on 160 meters, running low power CW using an old Globe Chief Model 90 and running crystal-control. Mainly for some rag-chewing on the east coast, and hoping to have everything working by the fall and winter months. I'm in the planning stages of putting up a full-wave horizontal loop for 160. AF4K, Bry, sells some small crystals for the 160 meter band which have been fitted into old FT-243 holders. Any suggestions as to a good frequency to try? Thanks.
           ---Marty, KK4RF---

[wa2dtw]

Although there is no CW-only segment on 160, most CW activity is in the lower part of the band, between 1802 and 1820.   Perhaps as high as 1850.   CW contesters regrettably use the entire band, including our favorite AM frequencies.

[KM1H]

160 CW is mostly for chasing DX from sundown to sunrise 365 days a year and they get a wee bit upset when some deaf peanut whistle flops in and starts with 20 minutes of CQ's especially with a straight key    Its up for grabs during daylight.

OTOH 1800-1810 is usually free at night as most DX doesnt have access or its shared with commercial use; W1AW is also in there. Just stay away from 1820 and up which is where most of the DX activity is and if asked to QSY dont argue.

Carl

[KK4RF]

Gentlemen:
     Thanks for the tips as where best to get on 160 CW without honking off the indigenous inhabitants of the band. I've never really been able to get on 160 before and have had the hankering to try for some time. I've done quite a bit of reading on 160 meter  horizontal loops and while it's a lot of wire, it should fit in my back yard  and I've got quite a few trees to work with as supports.
     Thanks again. If I can get my old Globe Chief to work OK on 160, I may try to modify it for AM fone. 73s,  Marty, KK4RF

[Jeff W9GY]

Marty, there's CW rag-chewing going on on 160.  I've had my share of nice QSO's in the evening hours from the midwest.  I'll look for you this fall.  73 Jeff

[W3GMS]

Gentlemen:
     I've been thinking of trying to get on 160 meters, running low power CW using an old Globe Chief Model 90 and running crystal-control. Mainly for some rag-chewing on the east coast, and hoping to have everything working by the fall and winter months. I'm in the planning stages of putting up a full-wave horizontal loop for 160. AF4K, Bry, sells some small crystals for the 160 meter band which have been fitted into old FT-243 holders. Any suggestions as to a good frequency to try? Thanks.
           ---Marty, KK4RF---

Marty,
You will enjoy 160 CW.  For years I just used a Johnson Ranger 2 on the band with a quarter wave inverted L.  I mainly work below 1.810 but sometimes slightly above.  You will have no problem finding folks to rag chew with.  Crystals are expensive to buy new these days.  Look for a good deal on a Heath VF-1 VFO and it will allow you to move around a bit.  Other VFO choice are available as well. 
Hope to work you on 160 CW....
Joe, W3GMS
 

[KK4RF]

Jeff and Joe,
     Thanks for the ideas. I do have an old homebrew vfo here that I may be able to change the coils on to get it down to 160. A vfo is the way to go. Let me see what I can do this weekend. Thanks again,   73s,  Marty, KK4RF

[KK4RF]

Gentlemen:
     I had the week off and did some radio work. I modified an old 3 transistor homebrew 40 meter vfo (monoband vfo) and got it working quite well on 160. It drives my old Globe Chief to full output and no chirp. It sounds quite good. I also made a link-coupled tuner, a monobander for 160 also, and it seems to work OK also. I haven't tried it on a 160 meter antenna yet, but it works well with my MFJ-259 analyzer and matches a variety of resistive loads to 1:1.
     I tried to put up a full-wave horizontal loop today for 160, but I've got so many trees in the way, that I'll need to do  a lot more planning on this. I do want to make an antenna  using ladder line feed so that I can use my new tuner.
     Anyway, just an update. Attached are pics of the tuner.   73s, Marty, KK4RF

[KK4RF]

Oops, the fron view of the tuner didn't go through. Will try again.---Marty---

[W4AAB]

A full wave loop on 160 will be around 560 feet, using the formula 1005/1.8. I am waiting on cooler WX to put mine up. Will feed with 75 ohm CATV line. Good luck!! I have several crystals in the CW portion of 160.I believe that 1825-1830 is reserved for DX stations only, IIRC.I have inverted vee with apex at 55 feet.Maybe one day they will be up over 100 feet.
                                                      Joe W4AAB

[KK4RF]

Joe,
     Thanks for the idea. I'm using insulated wire for mine and from what I read, you can deduct 4% of the length, if that helps. I won't have any time for the next month or so to get mine up but I've decided to place mine in a different part of the yard where I shouldn't have as much trouble . Let us know how well your loop works.  ---Marty, KK4RF---

[W7TFO]

Wow, a genuine 'Kitchen Sink' with tuna.....

73DG

[W3GMS]

Hi Marty,

Where is the 50 ohm link on the tuner?  Maybe its inside the coil and I can't see it.  If your sticking with open wire line, normally you have a link which goes to the transmitter.  Then parallel resonant the secondary coil to the frequency of operation and then start taping in equal turns off each end to find the point which matches the reflected feed point impedance of the antenna at the end of the open wire line. 

The tuner sure looks good though!  Like the wood added as a base.

Joe, W3GMS

[N5RLR]

Very nice! 

[Opcom]

Nice looking tuner!

[KK4RF]

Joe,
     The link is actually about 8 turns in the very center of the coil stock. I clipped the wire about 4 turns each side of dead center, then  connected the input of the tuner to one end of this short coil, with the other end going to the big 800 pf variable cap. I had some old WW2 fixed caps with the variable cap to give about 2000 pF of capacitance This is the primary and the secondary coil is all the turns on both sides of the link. There is a short copper wire in the middle of the coil connecting both sides of the secondary. I have a strap of brass on the under side of the wood base to ground the big variable cap to the ground on the coax connector.
     The 1994 ARRL Antenna Book has a similar tuner and uses this tandem arrangement for the coil, with the link and the secondary all from the same length of coilstock.
     Thanks to all who commented on the tuner. It was a fun project. Not sure when I'll be able to get the 160 horizontal loop up but hopefully in the next month.
     Sorry my pictures were such huge files. Will try compress them in the future if others are having trouble opening them due to size.
     Thanks to all.   ---Marty, KK4RF---

[W3GMS]

Thanks Marty for the explanation.  I was looking for a link either over or inside the main coil.  Great job on the tuner and it sure beats a balun hung on the output of a transmatch type tuner. 
73,
Joe, GMS