What are people using for 60m antennas? I want to have a better chance at nearby chasers here in the Northeast.
I have the BNC binding post adapter and figure for now I can make that work. I would construct I dipole but most summits around here won’t allow that much wire. It’s hard enough to fit a trapped 40m antenna, let alone full size 60m.
Random wire and counterpoise? EFHW? Something else?
Evan
Sloped 59’ end fed random wire with a 9:1 Unun and a 31’ counterpoise that I lay under the antenna works quite well on 60m with my KX3,
Jody - K3JZD
I’m using a LNR 40m EFHW about 69’ long with 10 feet of coax to KX3 as counterpoise. Able to load it on 60 with my KX3.
Hi Evan,
I took the 80m sections off my SOTABeams Bandhopper linked Dipole and added a shorter last section each side to make a 60m dipole. I does have the length problem that you mention of course. In the meantime, Richard produces a 20, 40, 60m “midi” version of the band hopper : Three-band portable dipole antenna system (Band Hopper III) - SOTABEAMS
I had hoped to use the QRP-GUYS tri-bander loaded vertical modified to cover 20, 40 & 60m in place of 20, 30 & 40m but as you may have read on another thread, that did not work (or has not worked out yet).
73 Ed.
I guess I was wondering what would would work with the BNC binding post adapter to work on 60m.
Utilized something like such: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/J_MGZGM3crU/maxresdefault.jpg
The BNC Binding post is only a connector, so any antenna that you directly connect to it needs to be 50 ohm impedance or (as in the photo) you have a good built in ATU (or auto matching unit - as the antenna isn’t physically tuned) in your rig.
Probably the best choice would be an end-fed-halfwave plus counterpoise wire. On 60 metres that’s going to be a long wire though!
Perhaps a 1/4 wave (supported vertically) and multiple radial wires off the other side of the connector.
Perhaps you need to define your parameters - how long a wire are you willing to accept - what range of mismatch can the ATU handle 10:1? 30:1? or only 3:1? - how much of a compromise (read - weak signal) can you accept?
These connectors are most often used with EFHWs for 10,12,15,17 or 20m. Finding a “small” antenna for 60m isn’t going to be easy.
73 Ed.
A 1/4 wave makes sense if the BNC binding post must be used, but I would try a single overlength radial and bring the system to optimum SWR by winding/unwinding it off a short grp rod such as a salvaged dome tent pole. Different coloured tape wrappings could be used to mark the best lengths to try for different types of ground - rock, soil, peat etc.
Actually I use a W3EDP myself, the small parallel tuner I have made resonates it on 80, 60, 40, 30 and just about on 20m. It works well.
Using a 90-foot end-fed wire, with 20 feet of coax, rig, and me for counterpoise.
Yes, it’s an inconvenience, and yes, get outstanding reports.
Ken
I’ve used the BNC/wire post on my KX2 for the last few activations along with a 60’ wire sloper to 16’ pole. 15’ counterpoise from the black lug, elevated by a trekking pole. That tunes down to 80m and seems to do well. The restriction in operating position is a little annoying.
73,
Joe
I use a trapped EFHW antenna that is resonant on 40, 30, and 20m. The antenna wire is less than 56 ft and I use a 12 ft coax feedline to the rig – no “extra” counterpoise wire required. My telescopic pole is only 15 ft long. My KX2 auto-tuner has no problem tuning this antenna for 60, 17, 15, 12, and 10m. I have started making 60m contacts lately and I do get picked up by a few RBN skimmers. I like to go with the shortest and easiest antenna to set up on the Colorado summits. Many summits have limited space and I also need to be able to quickly set up and tear down the antenna – particularity when the lightning season starts!
73, Brad
WA6MM
For a long time, I’ve been using a 67-foot inverted-L wire supported by a ~6M pole, fed by a special homebrew manual tuner, usually with no added counterpoise, for SOTA activations on 40-30-20-17-15M. This is a proven system. There are no traps, and the set-up is simple. If space is limited, I run the far end of the wire through trees or across rock cairns to keep it elevated. There is a link at 52 feet, and I open that mostly when I need to get up and stretch and get on 17M.
I decided to see if I could tune this wire up on 60M, and I can. I have two good options:
Connect a 12-foot counterpoise wire and I get a reactive but easy match, moderate impedance, quick and not fussy.
Don’t connect the counterpoise and get a somewhat different match, moderate impedance, very quick to QSY.
Either way, I usually get spotted by one or two RBN stations, and I make contacts one to or states away, as well as with in-state stations.
All the other bands 40-30-20-17-15 can be tuned easily with the 12-foot counterpoise attached or not, so I don’t even have to unplug it when QSY-ing back to those bands.
I also discovered that I can tune up on 80M with the same wires and tuner, and I get a reasonable match, but I’ve had little reason to use 80M so far.
I added a SPDT switch to my tuner to extend the tuning down to 60M and 80M. I used mica caps to lower the resonant frequency of the tank circuit for each band.
My tuner has both input and output variable tuning caps, so I can match a MUCH wider range of reactive impedances than most of the simple tuners can.
The ops who use auto-tuners are able to get their matches with similar wires also.
60 meters is similar to what 40M was like a few years ago. It gives NVIS and high-angle skip near mid-day, and longer skip in the morning and afternoon. Once the summer thunderstorms get going, I expect that 60M will be somewhere between challenging and useless!
60M sure is nice to have in winter, with the low solar flux and weak ionization. I plan to keep using it if others do. 40M no longer is reliable for in-state or nearby contacts - it’s too long.
73
KX0R
George
