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Favorite band for long distance with stock ham radio?

I like the keep it simple method. Cut a dipole for your lowest frequency of operation, feed it with ladder line to tuner. I use a 160 meter inverted v and a tuner, not a pileup buster but it works. 17 and 20 for dx.
 
... Also 60m is a DX band. Many countries now allow operation on that band.

Yeah, thats the regs on 60,.............. but, so far , the only foreign country I have been able to work on 60 is West (by God) Virginia:D

BTW, there is a lot of us that follow the gray line on 60,... check us out
 
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Right now I'm finding 20 meters late at night is good for getting into Europe. I'm using a delta loop.

73,
Brett
 
Interesting responses. I'm not planning on an amplifier any time soon. Not sure my wiring and cheap tuner, and homemade antenna will support it at this point. Nor will my income any time soon. The directional antenna sounds good, but it will be pretty much single band, right? or not? A motorized one I could control the direction of from the electronics room would be super cool though. I talked to a few guys with setups like that, but it's way beyond my pay grade at this point. I don't have alot of disposable income. I do have a lot of wire for making homemade antennas though. It kinda seems like the fan dipole is the way to go in my shoes.... to open up more bands for me to talk in in safe SWR ranges anyways. Do most agree? I have a cheap MFJ versa tuner II right now too....

Thanks guys!

P.S. My avatar picture in my profile is NOT me! It's just what people seem to think of me when I tell them I'm into amateur radio, and is kind of an inside joke.....lol.
 
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I have a cheap MFJ versa tuner II right now too....

Here's an Antenna suggestion since you have a tuner...

A balanced feedline (twin lead, open wire, or twin-axial line) may be connected to the two binding posts marked BALANCED LINE. Connect a jumper wire from the WIRE binding post, as indicated by the dotted line on the MFJ-969, to one of the BALANCED LINE posts. This connection activates the internal 4:1 balun.

http://ftp.unpad.ac.id/orari/librar...ant/docs/Introducing the All-Band Doublet.htm

All the Best
Gary
 
.... I don't have alot of disposable income. I do have a lot of wire for making homemade antennas though. ....

Not a ham so take this with a grain of salt but if I was in your situation I would be shopping for a couple good books on both antenna design in general and more specific ones on wire antennas, just try to learn as much as possible on all kinds of wire antennas and not just one design that you want to build.

I'm sure the hams here could make recommendations on some good books.
 
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the best single book out there is the ARRL antenna handbook...
wire antennas are fun to build and experiment with...
and you can make a directional wire beam...it all depends on how much room you have and time you want to put into it...
 
Sounds worth picking up. I'll see if I can find it on kindle!

I doubt it as most all ARRL publications are paper only. Exceptions are the Handbook and a few others that include a CD with the full text in a PDF. I know that ebook formats have been requested, but so far ARRL has been slow to provide them.
 

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