"AA5QT" wrote in message
...
My country total on 80 CW is very small, so I plan to do something about
it.
I'd like some recommendations on a modestly priced 80 meter DX antenna. I
can
build it or buy it.

I plan to put up the antenna atop a five acre piece of land, at about 1200
feet
above sea level. There will be no power lines nearby.


Hi,
For what I experimented during this low solar activities where we all need
an excellent antenna to work in low bands, the vertical like a R7 placed on
top of a 10m high mast, with a dozen soft radials burried into the ground is
perfect.
I did another test with aluminum tubes, 20m long "only". Was light enough to
be erected alone then a 2d man to pull on wires and erect it perfectly.
Signal QRO, similar to R7.

A dipole, but very long, 30 or 60m long, or even a beverage if you have some
place left can also worked and will display some lobes? Try to place it as
high as you can (lambda being quasi impossible).

See also ARRL ant.hdbk for curtains like antennas and other variantes and
the famous ON4UN book about working low bands.

Thierry
ON4SKY


Is a vertical a good solution, or would a dipole be better? What about
practical heights for the wire antennas, and should the vertical be
elevated or
placed on the ground?

Thanks in advance,
Gary K5QT