The WE9V Antenna Farm

The WE9V Antenna Description

This picture shows both towers. The main tower is 100' of Rohn 45. Antennas on the main tower include a two stack of KLM KT-34XAs (32' booms) at 50' and 100'. These tri-band antennas cover 10, 15 and 20M. They are independently rotatable, with the bottom one on a homebrew swinging-gate side mount. On the top of the 15' mast, at 108' is a 2 element 40M yagi, a Cushcraft XM-240. The 40M beam was converted to a W6NL Moxon design in 2015. It now covers the whole 40M band with low SWR, no losses, and improved gain and F/B. The tower also supports a 30/80M parallel dipole at 95'. The tower is shunt fed for 160M and has 60 buried radials as well as 7 ground rods. At 105' is a M^2 6M5X, 5 element 6M yagi installed between the upper KT34XA and 40M yagi. WE9V's Towers

The back tower, just to the right of the main tower this picture, is a 56' Rohn 25 type tower. It supports a second tribander (Mosley TA-34, 21' boom) at 56' and a Cushcraft A3WS at 61'. The A3WS is a 12M and 17M 3 element yagi. There are also low dipoles for 40M and 80M for high angle radiation that perform very well for local contacts.

For low-band RX antennas, I have two, two-wire switchable 300' long beverages, and a K9AY RX array.

Here's a picture of the back tower while we were installing the Cushcraft A3WS in 1998. Paul, K9PG is standing on the 2" boom of the tribander in order to install the A3WS. I am below him, assisting any way I could, mostly moral support to keep Paul's fear down, as not only is he standing on a 2" aluminum boom, but his climbing belt is only attached to the 2" aluminum mast. Below is the finished product, a Mosley TA-34 (21' boom tribander) at 56' and a Cushcraft A3WS at 61'.

Here's a close up of the main tower antennas. You can clearly see all of the antennas, including the wires for the (now removed) 2-element 80M parasitic array. The 8' tall Christmas Star is quite visible as well (also removed in 2016). Both rotators are Alfa Spid, replacing the troublesome Hy-Gain T2X tailtwisters. The top Alfa Spid RAK rotor was replaced with a BIG RAK in 2016. Every antenna from 40M on up are fed with CATV hardline. I have over 2000' of 3/4" hardline buried in the yard and up the two towers. The shack is in the basement of the house, so the feedlines go to the basement window. Right before the window, is a homebrew SO2R antenna switch. Since I have more than 6 antennas, my homebrew version has ten positions. From this switch, feedlines go to an aluminum bulkhead with Polyphasor lightning protection devices.

Coax at House

The local geography is small, gentle rolling hills. I am on the top of one of these small hills, with the ground sloping down about 50' in most directions. Here is the view towards Europe (Northeast) from on top of the tower.