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How to Make a 160 Meter Antenna

Antennas for 160 meters -- amateur radio's "top band" -- can be quite large and difficult to install on typical residential lots. There are solutions to this problem in that wire antennas can be constructed with various horizontal legs and vertical components, which might actually improve their signal efficiency in some directions. Begin your 160 meter antenna construction with a simple half wavelength dipole, which will get you on the air. Experiment with, and modify, your basic 160 meter dipole design by adding or bending horizontal legs and vertical components to accommodate your specific needs and space limitations.

Things You'll Need

260 feet of No. 12 stranded copper wire (bare or insulated)
Ceramic or plastic insulators (minimum of 3)
450 ohm window/ladder type transmission line
Trans-match antenna tuner
8-foot copper grounding rod
Braided copper ground strap
Large 1/4-inch screw hooks
2 - 1-inch hose clamps
Clear, silicone caulk
Nylon rope
Zip ties
Ladder
Soldering iron and solder
Wire cutters
Sledge hammer
Pliers

Instructions

How to Make a 160 Meter Antenna
- 1
  Use wire cutters to cut two 130-foot lengths of No. 12 stranded copper wire from the 260 foot length. Use one foot of overlap to securely install a center ceramic or plastic insulator between the two wires and one insulator at each end. Each half should be 128 feet long and the entire dipole length between the end insulators should be about 256 feet.
- 2
  Use the soldering iron and solder to attach one end of the 450 ohm window/ladder type transmission line to each side of the dipole across the center insulator to ensure both strong mechanical and electrical connections. Coat the connections with clear, silicone caulk. Wrap the transmission line once around the insulator and secure with zip ties.
- 3
  Use trees, nylons ropes, screw hooks, building structures and a ladder to install the antenna as high as possible. A straight-line or inverted "V" configuration is ideal but, due to space limitations and limited structural elements to which you can attach the antenna, you may alter the configuration to stretch the antenna out as best as you can over the widest surface area possible. Use vertical and horizontal bends as necessary to accomplish this. Use insulators, short pieces of nylon rope and hooks to keep the antenna away from any grounded or metal objects.
- 4
  Use a sledge hammer to drive an 8-foot copper ground rod into the ground just outside of your radio operating position. Leave about 1 foot of stick up on the rod. Secure a braided copper grounding strap to the ground rod using two 1-inch hose clamps. secure the other end to the grounding lug on the back of your trans-match antenna tuner. A good earth ground is always important but is even more important at lower frequencies to keep stray radio frequencies (RFs) from entering your building and to maximize the efficiency of the antenna.
- 5
  Attach the remaining end of the 450 ohm window/ladder type transmission line to the the pair of balanced line terminals at the rear of your trans-match antenna tuner. Transmit a low power signal and determine the favorable standing wave ratio (SWR) range of your antenna using the SWR meter function of your tuner. Use the tuner settings to adjust for minimum SWR (1:1) across the 160 meter band. Check for resonance on other bands and you will be pleasantly surprised to find that your antenna can be used on a variety of amateur radio bands.

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