Hello! I've been licensed since 1967, and after a 10+ year hiatus, dusted off the old equipment, andhave now been back on the air for about four years.

Since 1967 I've not had any antennas with any more gain than a dipole or vertical. So I decided to finally go for it and installed a 64 foot Heights aluminum tower and topped it with a Force 12 C-3E on which I installed a Hy Gain Discoverer 7-1 rotatable dipole. Having used simple wire antennas and Butternut HF6-Vs in the past I'm very pleased with the performance of this new antenna system.

Recently, I retired about half of the Butternut HF6-V. I purchased a DX Engineering 43 foot vertical and grafted the Butternut with its 80 and 40 meter loading coils (not the capacitors) on to it. The result is a 48 foot tall 80/75 Meter vertical sitting where the old Butternut used to reside. The 80 and 40M coils provide some center loading, and I use the 30M coil to provide variable base loading so that the antenna can be tuned for CW or Phone portions of the band. The antenna radiates a click better than the HF6-V, plus the SWR bandwidth is much better than the old antenna such that, if necessary (with a tuner), I can work CW and Phone portions without physically adjusting the antenna.

48 foot "DXnut" 80 meter vertical and base loading/matching network:

Here's a shot of the QTH.

Here's a shot of the tower/antenna that's about 200 feet back from the rear of the house.

Rig is an old (but a goodie) Kenwood TS-830S + an SB-221.

Still need to get 160 meter capability (although I can add additional base loading/matching to the 80M vertical to resonate on 160M; works good enough to work VK3and PT0S thusfar. See pic of sophisticated loading/matching system below ;-)) and some receiving antennas for 160 - 40M.

In the meantime I enjoy chasing DX and operating the ARRL and CQWW contests. Hope to hear you on the bands.

73, Mike