160 meters - or Bust!
NOTE: If you are a program chairman of a ham radio club I have a 20 minute presentation on the design and construction of this antenna. (Feel free to download the slide deck) and email me here if you are interested in arranging a talk.We start with my classic suburban lot (100' x 70') outside Boston which provides little room to build antennas for the lower bands.
The EZNEC plot shows I would achieve the goal of radiating most of the station's RF at an angle:
The details of the design, testing, and optimization of this incredibly successful vertical (including the why and how of installing a loading coil to improve performance) can be found on a page I call "The 160 Vertical Norse Saga" because of the effort required to find the optimal number and layout of radials on my property:
The vertical (and critical radials) immediately and dramatically improved performance on "the Gentleman's Band." My states total went from 15 (all east of the Mississippi) to all 50 states. I also went from a count of 12 entities (all on or near North America) to 77 - including New Zealand and Antarctica! Here are the lists of all my WAS contacts, followed by an ongoing list of entities I continue to rack up on 160:
Mode | Call | Locator | State | Date |
FT8 | AL7TC | BP15 | AK | 12/30/2019 |
JT65 | KX4X | EM62wi | AL | 11/16/2011 |
CW | W5TZC | EM34kh | AR | 11/14/2011 |
CW | N7DD | DM42lj | AZ | 1/28/2012 |
JT65 | N6KMR | CN91rn | CA | 12/31/2011 |
CW | K0RF | DN70jf | CO | 11/27/2011 |
SSB | K1OQ | FN41bp | CT | 8/24/2007 |
SSB | N3PG | FM28fw | DE | 5/6/2011 |
SSB | WD3J | EM70vk | FL | 5/16/2011 |
CW | W1IBQ | EM73um | GA | 12/28/2008 |
FT8 | K9FD/KH6 | BL11 | HI | 12/29/2019 |
JT65 | W0MRZ | EN42ea | IA | 11/16/2011 |
JT65 | N7ESU | DN17oq | ID | 12/31/2011 |
CW | K9CT | EM50aq | IL | 12/18/2011 |
JT65 | W9THD | EN71hp | IN | 11/23/2011 |
JT65 | K0ASK | EM28in | KS | 12/15/2012 |
CW | W5MX | EM77up | KY | 12/2/2011 |
JT65 | W5ADD | EM40wl | LA | 11/25/2011 |
SSB | W1KQ | FN42ip | MA | 8/24/2007 |
SSB | K3WX | FM19md | MD | 12/12/2008 |
CW | W3HBM | FN54vj | ME | 9/16/2011 |
HELL | W8LEW | EN72QP | MI | 2/06/2009 |
CW | WI0S | EN34ew | MN | 12/13/2008 |
JT65 | K0TPP | EM48rj | MO | 11/24/2011 |
JT65 | N4UPX | EM50jm | MS | 12/31/2011 |
JT65 | N3RC | DN45op | MT | 12/31/2011 |
CW | W4MY | FM15du | NC | 12/28/2008 |
JT65 | ND0B | EN07gn | ND | 3/5/2013 |
CW | K0HA | EN10lx | NE | 1/29/2012 |
CW | K1BX | FN43dc | NH | 1/11/2009 |
CW | K2TTT | FN20rw | NJ | 12/19/2010 |
JT65 | AI5I | DM65 | NM | 2/27/2013 |
CW | K7CA | DM26kc | NV | 12/28/2014 |
CW | NN2L | FN23ub | NY | 12/10/2008 |
CW | KQ8M | EN91hr | OH | 5/30/2010 |
CW | K5CM | EM25ir | OK | 12/4/2011 |
JT65 | K7ZV | CN82gk | OR | 1/4/2013 |
CW | W8FJ | FN20ic | PA | 12/28/2008 |
SSB | W1XX | FN41ej | RI | 2/27/2011 |
JT65 | N4BAF | EM84st | SC | 10/3/2011 |
JT65 | WA0GMH | Em19fa | SD | 1/29/2013 |
CW | AD4EB | EM65nt | TN | 12/2/2011 |
JT65 | W5GW | EM10ba | TX | 12/27/2011 |
JT65 | KB7EEG | DN31wd | UT | 1/4/2013 |
SSB | W4NF | FM18hq | VA | 2/27/2011 |
CW | WB2MIC | FN33jk | VT | 12/10/2008 |
JT65 | K7LFY | DN18bi | WA | 12/29/2011 |
CW | NE9U | EN54fl | WI | 12/3/2011 |
CW | KE7/8 | EM99 | WV | 1/21/2011 |
JT65 | WY7FD | DN74pm | WY | 12/10/2011 |
Now the list of entities contacted on 160. (I list Orkney Islands separately from Scotland - go to www.joeandnemo.com to learn why.) Countries marked in red were collected after extending the vertical in January 2019 from 22' to 35' (thanks to a mighty pull on a slingshot, details on the The 160 Vertical Norse Saga page.)
Country/Entity | Callsign | Grid | Mode | Miles |
New Zealand |
ZL4AS | RE43vt | FT8 | 9488 |
Antarctica | RN1ANL | JB59 | FT8 | 8792 |
Argentina | LU8DPM | GF03 | FT8 | 5567 |
Cyprus | 5B4AMM |
KM65 | FT8 | 5265 |
European
Russia |
RT6T | LN05xb | FT8 | 5125 |
Hawaii | K9FD/KH6 | BL11 | FT8 | 5031 |
Crete | SV9CVY | KM25ka | FT8 | 4915 |
Bulgaria | LZ2WO | KN22oo | CW | 4604 |
Ukraine | UX1UA | KO50em | FT8 | 4470 |
Serbia | YU1EL | KN03ev | FT8 | 4353 |
Belarus | EU1WW | KO34 | FT8 | 4187 |
Bosnia-Herzegovina | E77DX | JN84ix | CW | 4182 |
Hungary | HA7TM | JN97 | FT8 | 4171 |
Slovenia | S51V | JN86cm | CW | 4105 |
Croatia | 9A1A | JN75vn | CW | 4101 |
Lithuania | LY7Z | KO15we | CW | 4086 |
Slovak Republic | OM2XW | JN88ss | CW | 4079 |
Austria | OE8SKQ | JN76jn | CW | 4045 |
Czech Republic | OL7M | JO80cf | CW | 3977 |
Poland | SP3DOI | JO81vp | FT8 | 3972 |
Finland | OH1XX | KP10ok | CW | 3886 |
Mauritania | 5T5PA | IL40li | FT8 | 3774 |
Aaland Island | OH0Z | JP90we | CW | 3773 |
Italy | IK4ADE | JN54oe | FT8 | 3758 |
Sweden | SM3NRY | JO99ah | CW | 3758 |
Switzerland | HB3YAT | JN46bt | JT65 | 3758 |
Denmark | OZ3AEV | JO65gq | JT65 | 3672 |
Spain | EA3NE | JN11an | JT65 | 3652 |
Germany | DL8GP | JN39lh | JT65 | 3634 |
Peru | OA4AZP | FI20ge | JT65 | 3630 |
France | F6ECI | JN05sa | JT65 | 3524 |
Morocco | CN2CO | IM64 | FT8 | 3512 |
Belgium | ON4GPE | JO21nb | FT8 | 3511 |
France | F6GCP | JN16gq | FT8 | 3497 |
Norway | LA7QIA | JO29ta | FT8 | 3335 |
Svalbard | JW7QIA | JO29ta | FT8 | 3334 |
Portugal | CT7ANG | IM67 | FT8 | 3334 |
ALASKA | AL7TC | BP51 | FT8 | 3328 |
Canary Islands | EA8AT | IL38 | FT8 | 3289 |
England | G3BJ | IO82om | CW | 3157 |
Wales | GW5R | IO82 | CW | 3112 |
Scotland | MM0SJH | IO89jb | SSB | 3042 |
Scotland (Orkney Is) |
MM0EAX | IO89ka | FT8 | 3031 |
Northern Ireland | MI/3Z0X | IO64pp | FT8 | 2951 |
Ireland | EI4KF | IO54ue | CW | 2908 |
Iceland | TF3DT | IP04rr | FT8 | 2547 |
Venezuela | YV1KK | FJ66wp | CW | 2512 |
Mexico | XE1GRR | DL80ho | JT65 | 2418 |
Costa
Rica |
TI7W | EK80aa | CW | 2379 |
Trinidad & Tobago | 9Y4/VE3EY | FK90ik | CW | 2308 |
Azores | CU2CE | HM58xl | SSB | 2270 |
Madeira Is. | CT3MD | HM58qm | FT8 | 2239 |
Nicaragua | H7/RM0F | EK72is | CW | 2237 |
Colombia | HK1T | FK20ox | SSB | 2203 |
Grenada | J38XX | FK92aa | CW | 2190 |
Barbados | 8P9AE | GK03fe | CW | 2154 |
Saint Vincent | J88HL | FK93jg | CW | 2119 |
Curacao Is. | PJ2T | FK52kg | CW | 2105 |
Bonaire
Island |
PJ4A | FK52me | CW | 2103 |
Honduras |
HR1LW | EK84JB | FT8 | 2090 |
Aruba | P49X | FK52al | FT8 | 2076 |
Saint Lucia | J68GU | FK94mb | FT8 | 2070 |
Martinique | FM5CD | FK94kq | CW | 2025 |
Belize | V31YN | EK58 | FT8 | 1965 |
Dominica | J79WTA | FK95 | FT8 | 1964 |
Montserrat | VP2MSN | FK86vq | CW | 1872 |
St.
Kitts & Nevis Island |
V47KA | FK87pg | FT8 | 1816 |
St. Eustatius & Saba Is | PJ5/SP6IXF |
FK87ml | FT8 | 1798 |
US Virgin Is. | NP2J | FK77ps | CW | 1762 |
St.
Martin |
FS/VA7XW | FK88 | FT8 | 1754 |
Puerto Rico | KP4KE | FK68kl | CW | 1687 |
Greenland | XP3A | GP44de | FT8 | 1684 |
Cayman
Islands |
ZF2CW | EK99 | LSB | 1680 |
Dominican Rep. | HI3K | FK49ps | SSB | 1581 |
Turks & Caicos Is. | VP5CW | FL41aa | CW | 1495 |
Bahamas | C6ANA | FL24aa | SSB | 1315 |
Cuba | CO8LY | FK29bx | JT65 | 920 |
Bermuda | VP9/WW3S | FM72ph | CW | 792 |
Jamaica | 6Y5WJ | EN82jl | CW | 619 |
Canada | VA3WU | FN03jc | FT8 | 414 |
USA | K1DG | FN42ht | CW | 38 |