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Well, we got the loop up this morning.
W3WH came over around 10. I already had the mast assembled.
It wasn't easy.
The small fiberglass section cracked; Bill inadvertently put more stress on it during our first two attempts to raise it than I expected, and it cracked. I was able to remove it, but that shortened the mast, and prevents it's use, for now, as a vertical.
Took us 5 tries to pull it vertical. I'd misjudged the mass of the mast. I was used to maneuvering the HF2 and HF6, and this was much more massive. We should have had 2 more guys helping us.
But, it's up, and the delta loop is in place.
It loads on 160, but I think it's too short. Time will tell; we have some thunderstorms this evening, so I'm not testing anything until tomorrow night at the earliest. I could hear W1AW/4 AL, but kinda weak. But that could be conditions.
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For what it's worth, my 80 meter turnstile is actually
2 inverted vee dipoles at right azimuth angles.
It's apex is up 48 feet, supported by 13 feet of 2-inch PVC
atop a 36-foot steel tower. Ends droop to about 27 feet.
Tied together, the 4-wire feedline forms a cage umbrella vertical
fed against radials and powerline neutral--excellent low-band DX.
Do you work 160 CW? We could try a sked (once the QRN subsides).
