N7XM
Josh Logan
Dayton, NV USA

A DX Engineering ATK-65 vertical mast guyed with dacron rope ( supplied by DX Engineering) at 3 levels. It has two long TOP HAT wires about 65 ft long for operation on 160 meters. I anchor the TOP HAT wires to deal with big winds (100 mph once or twice a year - 50- 70 mph winds OFTEN) with more black dacron rope as far from base as possible. The feedline comes via very tough fiber optic hose ( orange ) because many critters want to GNAW on the coax. I use a DXE-VE-BASE insulator and a radial plate. At present I have ONLY 40 radials about 65 ft long - my soil is very rocky and sandy. I have received 599 reports from Eu , western VK and Japan routinely when propagation is good. I have recently worked 20 European stations in one evening from the western Nevada high desert near Reno , NV - the EAST coast equivalent would be working 20 JAs in one morning on TOP BAND ! The vertical is on a valley floor with clear shots for 270 degrees , there is a mountain to the Southeast ( So America) but I seem to do OK that direction (PY2DO recently gave me 589 at his sunrise ) Thank you DX Engineering for making it easy!