I have been operating on topband (160 meters) since 1978.  In Hudson, I worked 45 states and about 20 countries barefoot with the 75 ft tower, shunt fed, with 16 radials.  I could have worked a lot more had I used a linear and more radials.  Here in Londonderry, I have the mast ground strapped to the tower and the Mosely Pro-96 acts like a great top-hat (7 of the 9 elements are DC coupled to the boom).  The tower resonates at approximately 1.73 MHz.  I have 64 radials ranging from 75 to 125 feet in length. I finally got my home-brew 4-1000 linear amp working.  Now I am able to crack pile-ups pretty regularly.  I have 88 countries worked.  Just wish I had gotten the amp working in Hudson - would have had 160m DXCC by now!

HOW TO GET STARTED ON TOPBAND...
Get a copy of ON4UN's book "Antennas and Techniques for Low Band DX'ing" , an ARRL publication. It is considered to be the Bible of  the Topband.  Another ARRL book is Jeff Briggs (K1ZM) "DX'ing on the Edge".  Check out chapters 11 and 12 on simple transmit and receive antennas.

If you have a tower at least 50 feet high with a decent sized tribander you have the makings of a good vertical antenna on 160 meters.  You need to lay down at least 32 radials - try to make them at least 60 feet long (130 feet long is ideal).  Run a wire or "cage" of wires from the base of the tower up to the top of the tower and connect them to the tower.  separate the wire (or cage of wires) from the tower about 2-3 feet.  You now have a folded unipole (a vertical half of a folded dipole).  You can use an "L-network" or an omega match (if the tower resonates above 1.83MHz) or a gamma match (series capacitor) if the tower resonates below 1.83MHz.  Clean the tower with  pipe cleaning sand paper and apply some NOALOX aluminum paste to the spot where the wires connect to the tower - hose clamps work fine.  Use a dense wood like oak for the spacers. 

I ran 6 wires in a "cage" configuration from the matching network (just a 1000pf vacuum variable in series) in a box at the base up to the 50 foot point on the tower and just connected them directly to the tower.

You should try to put up a receiving antenna.  If you have the space a Beverage antenna is best.  550 feet is minimum (that's what I have) 1100 feet is better.  There are smaller receiving antennas such as the EWE, Pennant and flag which are getting more and more use by topbanders who don't have lots of real estate. 

Subscribe to the topband reflector digest (www.contesting.com/topband).  You will get an e-mail once a day with all the postings on DX-peditions, band openings, and technical issues regarding 160 meters.  There are more than 500 topbanders subscribing to this reflector and there are a number of very technically competent hams who regularly give advice.  All the "big guns" subscribe.

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