Antenna L-Match network for the 160m band

🔘For many years the 🗼antenna which I have been using for my amateur radio activities on long-wave and medium-wave bands ( 2190m & 630m ) has been a vertical, tubular aluminium pole connected at its top to a horizontal wire. Both the pole and the wire together form the antenna element;  the familiar 'inverted-L' configuration  |''''''''''''''' .  There is a picture of it during construction in the post dated 11.09.2012.

Vertical section of the antenna - 
the storage box at the base

However, I also wanted to use the antenna on the 160m band ( 1810 - 2000KHz ); but it wasn't resonant ( less than half-wavelength long ) on that band and also presented a severe impedance mismatch to the 50 Ohm coax cable which connected it to the transmitter.

I solved the non-resonance and mismatch problems by making an L-C "L-Match" network inside a storage box and connecting it to the antenna's vertical pole at ground level; see image below - the cover has been removed to show the  ➿coil  (L), capacitor  -∥- (C), coax cable and wire interconnections.

L-Match network installed at the base of the antenna

After a very short time spent adjusting the variable coil and variable capacitor I was able to obtain a perfect match to the coax at the point of connection to the antenna on my chosen frequency  ∿1840KHz, although the antenna does exhibit a very narrow bandwidth.

After using the modified antenna 🗼 for just a few evenings, I have contacted 18 countries on 160m band.🔘

Straight up

Today I finished installing the vertical section of a new 'trapped inverted-L' antenna for the 160 metre and 2190 metre bands to the final height of 17.8m. It is constructed from 4m lengths of aluminium tubes of various diameters giving it a taper from 45mm diameter at the base to 26mm at the top.
I have been making ground-mounted vertical antenna elements for low frequencies for many years and in my experience 18 metres is about the maximum height for this form of construction using light material, as well as being at the limit of what one person can erect. Higher than this and the construction can quickly become uncontrollable during lifting, resulting in disaster. However, I still have about 2m in reserve should I feel bold enough one day to try to increase the height still further.
Prior to erecting the vertical part, I had already connected a 15.8m top wire. I now have to fit the trap and an additional 15m of wire to an anchor point on a 12m pole about 30m away.
The storage box just visible at the antenna base will contain the L-type 'L-C' matching network to 50 Ohm coax cable feedline for operation on the 160m band.
Thunderstorms are forecast here tomorrow; an early survival test !