Favorite band for long distance with stock ham radio?

[iiiquaziii]

So, pardon my ignorance, but I'm new, and learning. I have my ham general license, and an ICOM 718 stock radio, with a antron 199 10m antenna which I also use for 11m, and a homemade wire antenna for 40m and 15m. I can also tune it to 18m with a little extra swr.

My question is: What is the best (or peoples favorite) band for very long distance communications for voice? I am thinking about adding a new antenna. I want the most long distance capability. I have made some semi long distance contacts on 40m, but it only seems to work well at nite. I have read that 20m will work well for long distance, but never operated on it.

I'm only running 100w, but want as reliable as possible long range voice. What would be the next antenna/band you guys would try out in my position?

I am aware its dependent on conditions....

Thanks for the advice in advance.

 

[iiiquaziii]

So, pardon my ignorance, but I'm new, and learning. I have my ham general license, and an ICOM 718 stock radio, with a antron 199 10m antenna which I also use for 11m, and a homemade wire antenna for 40m and 15m. I can also tune it to 18m with a little extra swr.

My question is: What is the best (or peoples favorite) band for very long distance communications for voice? I am thinking about adding a new antenna. I want the most long distance capability. I have made some semi long distance contacts on 40m, but it only seems to work well at nite. I have read that 20m will work well for long distance, but never operated on it.

I'm only running 100w, but want as reliable as possible long range voice. What would be the next antenna/band you guys would try out in my position?

I am aware its dependent on conditions....

Thanks for the advice in advance.

Or alternately, what length homemade antenna could I put up which would give me access to the most bands I haven't played around with yet? I think if I hang a 20m antenna its pretty much single band?

 

[Tallman]

Or alternately, what length homemade antenna could I put up which would give me access to the most bands I haven't played around with yet? I think if I hang a 20m antenna its pretty much single band?

Try the FAN DIPOLE fairly easy to make and inexpensive. Or go to eBay and get one of the QSO KING type antennas.

 

[Road Squawker]

I don't understand what you mean by "stock",.... unless you consider 60 meters as "non" stock. but 60 meters is not in any way a "DX"

as far as an antenna,........... start with a 135 foot doublet, fed with 300 ohm ladder line and a tuner.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I don't understand what you mean by "stock",.... unless you consider 60 meters as "non" stock. but 60 meters is not in any way a "DX"

as far as an antenna,........... start with a 135 foot doublet, fed with 300 ohm ladder line and a tuner.

I am assuming he means straight out of the box 100 watts no mods. I also suspect he may be unfamiliar with the fact that ham rigs are not modified out of the box like most CBs and export rigs are. Also 60m is a DX band. Many countries now allow operation on that band.

 

[vkrules]

20m is the big DX band.
40m is also good but you will need a good antenna for international work.
DX is a subjective term. Some regard the next state as DX
I have worked members here on 20m and 40m ( not to mention the numerous 10m contacts ,now the band is dead) from Australia.

 

[fourstringburn]

What is the best (or peoples favorite) band for very long distance communications for voice? I am thinking about adding a new antenna. I want the most long distance capability. I have made some semi long distance contacts on 40m, but it only seems to work well at nite.

Any of the HF bands 10 thru 40 meters can get long range DX when anyone of those bands are wide open. 10 thru 17 meters is more of a daytime band while 40 meters is best at night. 20 meters can be both. Check the online clusters and listen and when it's really open, jump on it! One of the popular cluster is DX Summit.

Unfortunately we are own the downward side of the current solar cycle but it doesn't mean you can't still get some good DX in. One report I read said this one peaked in 2013 and the other said 2014.

what length homemade antenna could I put up which would give me access to the most bands I haven't played around with yet? I think if I hang a 20m antenna its pretty much single band?

Refer to what roadsqawker suggested if you have the space for a good multi-band antenna. I use a Carolina Windom which is also 135 ft. I have it up on a push-up pole about 45 ft. in an inverted V configuration. The Windom antenna is a variant of the off-center fed dipole (OCF).This creates 2 unequal wire lengths, one at 90 ft. and the other at 45 ft.

This is a perfect fit for me since I have limited space. The single 90 ft. end makes to a tree in my front yard from the push-up pole mounted to the eave of my house while the shorter 45 ft. section makes just perfectly to my back wall. Being an inverted V, it shortens the overall length to be used on my property by about 40 ft. as opposed to a flat top dipole at 135 ft.

Many times antennas we use are decided by size of property, what are neighborhoods will allow, what we can afford, or what the wife will let you put up.

 

[N0NB]

As you really want to work DX, plan to put up a directional antenna. When the Maximum Useable Frequency (MUF) is high enough there are really no better bands than 15-10m. However, as we're heading into a general decline of the solar cycle your better bets will probably be 20 and 17m. If you can manage it, a tri-band Yagi (20, 15, and 10m) at 50 feet will do very well for you. Tri-banders are common and can be found used at reasonable prices. Trying to get an antenna that covers 17 and 12m along with the other three makes the antenna rather complicated, heavier, and raises the expense.

Another option is the Log Periodic Dipole Array (LPDA) such as those sold by Tennadyne. Their advantage is no traps and coverage of all bands from 20 to 10m on one boom. The main disadvantage is lower claimed forward gain but the LPDA is claimed to have a clean pattern and a good front to back ratio that improves as you go up in frequency.

You'll work DX with a wire. With the upper bands being open less for worldwide DX in the coming years, you'll work much more DX with a directional antenna.

 

[binrat]

Many people have eluded to the key to success for 100 watts, antenna, antenna, antenna. A good yagi (triband) that covers 20/15/10 at 40-50' with a low loss coax is a good start. I have had good success with a dipole at 50ish feet as well. It was a modified DXCC that covered 80/40 (I got rid of the 20 & 10 wires).

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Many people have eluded to the key to success for 100 watts, antenna, antenna, antenna. A good yagi (triband) that covers 20/15/10 at 40-50' with a low loss coax is a good start. I have had good success with a dipole at 50ish feet as well. It was a modified DXCC that covered 80/40 (I got rid of the 20 & 10 wires).

I concur. I had no problem working the world with 100 watts and a beat up Cushcraft A3 tribander at 40 feet. It didn't crack any pile ups when a rare DX station was on the air but it did make a LOT of nice contacts. Once in a while i got lucky during a pile up however for general DXing it worked great. Hopefully in a few weeks I will get the Explorer-14 tribander up for 10/15/20m as well as 40m with the add-on kit. I also have a Cushcraft A3W to go up for 12m and 17m. The Ex-14 will be at about 63 feet and the A3W at 68 feet and the 6m yagi at about 72 feet.If all goes well I should be in good shape for the winter DX season.

 

[binrat]

I concur. I had no problem working the world with 100 watts and a beat up Cushcraft A3 tribander at 40 feet. It didn't crack any pile ups when a rare DX station was on the air but it did make a LOT of nice contacts. Once in a while i got lucky during a pile up however for general DXing it worked great. Hopefully in a few weeks I will get the Explorer-14 tribander up for 10/15/20m as well as 40m with the add-on kit. I also have a Cushcraft A3W to go up for 12m and 17m. The Ex-14 will be at about 63 feet and the A3W at 68 feet and the 6m yagi at about 72 feet.If all goes well I should be in good shape for the winter DX season.

Good to see you are heading up the tower to get them installed.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Good to see you are heading up the tower to get them installed.

Man it had better happen this year. One year I procrastinated too long and winter set in. The following year I tore an inner thigh muscle and could not climb for over a year. Last year I was looking at a possible expansion of the house which would have been built over top of where the cables are to go so that put things on hold until this year. We did not do the expansion BTW. About six weeks ago I tore a muscle in my right knee and that is better but not completely healed yet. I still have a large bump on it and have to be careful when kneeling down.

 

[N0NB]

Not to hijack the thread much further, but CK, I read that you're going to put the 17/12 about 5 feet above the EXP-14. I'll be interested to see how it works out for you. I dug my EXP-14 out of the barn (literally) a couple of weeks ago where it had been accumulating a nasty patina for the past 22.5 years. Eventually I'd like to get it up to about 70 feet and then planned on a Tennadyne T28 for 6m+ about seven to eight feet above the EXP-14. I was thinking that might be too close. I'd love to shoehorn 17/12 in there as well, but I'm not sure I have the tower strength (Rohn 25G) and probably not the rotor capacity (HAM-IV) to do it.

 

[wavrider]

Depends on how you want to operate your station and future plans for upgrades.

IF you can install a tower and beam then go for tri bander, as mentioned earlier.

IF you plan on purchasing an amplifier then you need transmission line that can handle the current.

IF you want to use an antenna coupler, tuner, then look at cebiks backyard antennas.

http://www.qsl.net/v73ns/backyardwireantennaes.pdf

One size does not fit all.

IF you do not want to use an antenna tuner then build a fan dipole, perhaps two of them, 10/15/20,,,, second for the warcs 12/17,,, two coaxes, no tuner required 5 bands with 15/17/20 great dx bands.

Most important have fun.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Not to hijack the thread much further, but CK, I read that you're going to put the 17/12 about 5 feet above the EXP-14. I'll be interested to see how it works out for you. I dug my EXP-14 out of the barn (literally) a couple of weeks ago where it had been accumulating a nasty patina for the past 22.5 years. Eventually I'd like to get it up to about 70 feet and then planned on a Tennadyne T28 for 6m+ about seven to eight feet above the EXP-14. I was thinking that might be too close. I'd love to shoehorn 17/12 in there as well, but I'm not sure I have the tower strength (Rohn 25G) and probably not the rotor capacity (HAM-IV) to do it.

Hygain says that five feet of separation is all that is required so we will see if they are right. LOL My problem is trying to put 10 pounds of crap into a five pound bag when it comes to stacking antennas on my mast. The tower is a Trylon T-500 64 foot free standing type and will handle everything but I am just a bit leery of having too much mast out the top. We get some nasty nor-easter storms here. Going to try something a bit different too. I need to mount a pair of 13B2's for 2m SSB as well as an 11 element 2m yagi for FM work.I plan to mount the 13B2's on the ends of the EX-14 boom at right angles to the boom so they will be 90 degrees off from the rotator heading which is no big deal. I have a plan for a boom truss to strengthen it due to the extra wind drag on it so this entire project is not being done without a LOT of thought and planning including how to jack up a mast with multiple antennas on it.