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Post by ma1marv on Nov 14, 2012 3:46:59 GMT 9
Mark - you can add a coil -in line with the present antenna wire and make it "SEEM" seem electrically long. You can also tune it with the coil to the specific wavelength you want! Might want to check that out! You can also add a single wire over the top of your roof - E/W and do the same - just end up with a 1/4 wave!
MArv :fire_missle_ani :patriotic-flagwaver :green-beer
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Post by Mark O on Nov 14, 2012 4:10:18 GMT 9
Mark - you can add a coil -in line with the present antenna wire and make it "SEEM" seem electrically long. You can also tune it with the coil to the specific wavelength you want! Might want to check that out! You can also add a single wire over the top of your roof - E/W and do the same - just end up with a 1/4 wave! MArv I am actually planning on trying that for my next homemade antenna. I have some 14 gauge solid, and will build a much better feed point out of some PVC parts (I bought a kit, and it should be here in a couple days.) The problem is building a decent coil, as I have never done that before. In the meantime I have one of these that came yesterday in the mail as part of the package from my brother. It's an Alpha-Delta "DX-LB" single wire (100'), multi-band (160/80/40) with the coils that I really need to get up to about 35 feet to be effective. At that height I should be just legal for the city too. Definitely a compromise antenna on 160 meters, but I've read good reviews. This thing is made out of 12 gauge solid, and the whole assembly weighs almost 6 pounds. (I used 18 ga. stranded for my current homemade.)
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2012 4:59:34 GMT 9
and just think, you can attach a kite to it, and fry your butt, BEN. Isn't that getting to be a lightning ROD, Mark?
I dont know squat about HAM radio's, but putting solid wire in the air would make me think REAL HARD about it.
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Post by ma1marv on Nov 14, 2012 9:58:23 GMT 9
Two more suggestions for ya. You might have to give your neighbors an inline filter built for your main used frequencies. It sure keeps them happy -even when they are on a cable system!
Second - when you get too far away from your house the lightening potential does increase. So -get a set of inductors for the antenna center tap and take them to a ground rod. Use an 8 foot rod of copper clad steel 1/2 inch or bigger. Make sure you drive it all the way to ground level and might even countersink it into the ground. A plastic 5 gallon bucket set into the hole makes a great cover! Remember this formula - XL = 2pi FL As the frequencey goes up the Inductive reactance goes up. Your transmitted signal will not go to ground. A lightening strike is mainly a DC current or low frequency AC as some are want to think. The charge will go right through the coils to ground.
MArv :fire_missle_ani :patriotic-flagwaver :green-beer
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Post by Jim on Nov 14, 2012 13:22:41 GMT 9
Hints on driving those 8' gound rods.... As Marv suggested dig down deep enough to bury a 5 gal paint bucket......Use water hose with high pressure nozzle and bore the hole as deep as you can. Go rent a fence post driver- it looks like a 3' piece of pipe with two handles on it. This way no one has to hold the rod while you stand on a ladder trying to hit that 5/8" rod with a 12 # sledge..... Keep the hole filed with water while driving rod.. Use a brass ground rod clamp specifically made for your purpose... After everything drys out, clean the rod and install the clamp and gound wire. Cover the connection with a heavy covering of axle grease ( wheel bearing will work).. This will prevent corrosion at the connections... This is from years of experience setting up manuf. homes and the utilities..... You strike oil, you gotta share with me....................... Jim
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Post by Mark O on Nov 15, 2012 14:10:08 GMT 9
Marv & Jim, thanks for the grounding tips. That helps a bunch.
Sure am wanting to rig up that antenna my brother sent me. I tried making contact on 40 meters tonight with a guy in Danbury, CT, but he only made out part of my call sign. It took me three or four times to get his too, but it was mostly on my antenna. A guy from Colorado made contact with him using QRP (low power) and I am putting 100W (probably closer to 75-80 with cheap coax loss). Of course propagation wasn't the best either. Many folks commented on that.
On the good side I re-read the antenna law for the city, and need to find out what the maximum structure height is for my zoning district. I should be able to go much higher than the 20' above the apex of my roof than I thought.
Section 2.4.6.8 Receive Only or Amateur Radio Antenna
(a) Height Restrictions. Development Code Chapter 2: Zoning Regulations Article 5: Use Regulations City of Abilene, Texas Page 2-124
(1) Free standing receive only or amateur radio antennas or antenna structures including antenna may not be higher than twenty feet (20) above the maximum structure height for the zoning district in which the antenna is located, and in no case shall such antenna and/or antenna structure exceed seventy feet (70) in height.
(2) Roof-mounted antennas may not extend more than twenty feet (20) above the highest point of the structure.
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Post by Mark O on Nov 15, 2012 14:48:46 GMT 9
Hey Marv (or anyone else), Do you remember "GE Ham News", or "RCA Ham Tips"? They were newsletters sent out by these two outfits. n4trb.com/AmateurRadio/GE_HamNews/ge_ham_news.htmn4trb.com/AmateurRadio/RCA_Ham_Tips/rca_ham_tips.htmI watched Bob Heil (of Heil Sound www.heilsound.com/) on Ham Nation talking about these tonight on his show. He said in his day these were how hams got their education. One thing that almost immediately caught my eye was the use of the word "cycles" instead of the word "hertz." That's the way I was taught by my dad, an old electronics tech, and ham himself. In fact, I don't think I've even heard my dad say the word hertz! Pretty neat little trip down the ham memory lane. You can read these by the glow of your vacuum tubes!
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Post by Mark O on Nov 19, 2012 0:34:51 GMT 9
Been having fun on the radio learning how they do things. The ARRL is having one of their many contests this weekend, and although I'm not really competing, I have made a few good contacts. So far the farthest distance has been both coasts (including British Columbia) and Hawaii which is pretty amazing considering the antenna I made. I finished making another antenna yesterday specifically for 40 meters (7.000 - 7.300 MHz) and cut it (tuned) specifically for the upper end to use SSB.
I was able to get one contact in San Diego on 40 meters using my 20 meter antenna, but credit atmospherics more than anything for that.
Now if I can get the new antenna up in the air to a decent height I should do much better.
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Post by Mark O on Nov 19, 2012 14:16:53 GMT 9
The tally...
37 US states including Hawaii (3,505 mi.), Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. (2,321 mi.)
6 Canadian provinces including Prince Edward Island (2,188 mi.), and Yukon Territory. (2,520 mi.)
Certainly no records, but not to shabby for that home brew antenna! (Folks, this is a lot of fun!)
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Post by ma1marv on Nov 19, 2012 21:57:32 GMT 9
Mark - you are making me jealous! I'm beginning to think I need to haul out my old "Foot Warmers" and get them fired up, but I have too many other irons in the fire. For now - I'm looking for an old windmill tower to use for a wind generator. I've been thinking of this for quite some time. Once I get that up and running I might just install an antenna on it.
Just the 2 meter to start! Keep it up!
MArv :fire_missle_ani :patriotic-flagwaver :green-beer
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Post by Jim on Nov 20, 2012 1:17:39 GMT 9
The tally... 37 US states including Hawaii (3,505 mi.), Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. (2,321 mi.) 6 Canadian provinces including Prince Edward Island (2,188 mi.), and Yukon Territory. (2,520 mi.) Certainly no records, but not to shabby for that home brew antenna! (Folks, this is a lot of fun!) ALSO ADDICTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Mark O on Dec 1, 2012 8:06:39 GMT 9
Hey! I just got my first QSL card. Okay, technically it's an SWL (ShortWave Listening) card. I still have my old Radio Shack multi-band receiver that I took all over the world with me in the USAF, and picked up the Voice of Russia one night before I even took my ham tests. I e-mailed them, and got this in the mail today. I was really hoping to get this version even though it is well over a year old since the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight. I am very happy this is the one they sent me. I've also written (e-mailed) to Radio China International, NHK World (Radio Japan), and Voice of America for QSL cards. I'm able to get Radio Havana all the time, but I've read it is VERY difficult to even mail Cuba, much less get a QSL card from them. Anyway, it's all very cool, and much easier to get these stations with my Icom! So, just a quick pic -- the colors are much brighter than this as they mailed it in an envelope. (Has anyone caught the English spelling error on the card?)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2012 8:10:07 GMT 9
SPASE only has one S, like in SPACE
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Post by Mark O on Dec 1, 2012 8:28:57 GMT 9
SPASE only has one S, like in SPACE Ron, you've won a COOKIE!! What are you going to do now?! Cerioucly, I was so exsited to get this in the mail this afternoon I didn't even notise "SPASE" until I took the photo! (I'm not even going to spell czech this post!) BTW, where were you (any of you who were alive then!) when Vostok 1 launched?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2012 8:37:09 GMT 9
Mark, itz eacy for me to cpell CZECH, I are wun.
Das vidanya, mein freund. You can haf da koocie, unlesc itc gingerbraed.
corry, itc tiem for my turcey candwitch.
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Post by LBer1568 on Dec 2, 2012 1:05:37 GMT 9
Of course some of us were around. In April 1961 I was a Junior in HS when Gagarin went into space.
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Post by Mark O on Dec 3, 2012 12:16:06 GMT 9
I've been fiddling around trying to make a QSL card of my own that I can print at home. The fancy-schmancy ones you can order are EXPENSIVE, but I'll try a full-color when I do these just to see how it turns out. I have a really neat photo of a Dyess C-130H I want to use as a background. So, I just need to hit one of the "Office" stores, and find some Avery postcard stock in the morning. (I doubt very seriously that the BX will have any!) Anyway, I need to get a few cards out for some contacts I made this weekend. I'd also like to send one to my first QSO (contact), and maybe to a couple other "first" QSOs. (Canada, Hawaii, etc.) Here's my design. Mostly B/W, and just a splash of color - but not too much! The back side will look like a standard postcard with my address, and room for a "TO" address if I mail it without a return SASE. (That's pretty common for QSL cards if you send them.) Imagine the collector's value years from now when someone realizes they have a "first edition, home made" QSL card from KF5SPP!! P.S. No one else has a story about when they heard Yuri Gagarin launched into space?
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Jim Scanlon (deceased)
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Dec 3, 2012 12:30:41 GMT 9
Nice looking card, Mark.
Should do what you want it to.
When Gagarin made it in to space, I was stationed at Nellis.
I was crew chief of an F-105D.
Even had a special AFSC, Z43151C.
We talked about it, and I remember we thought our country should have been the first to put a man in space, just like when Sputnik was put in orbit.
Too much bureaucratic nonsense, IMHO, kept us from being first with both events.
Jim Too
:santahat
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Post by Mark O on Dec 3, 2012 12:41:40 GMT 9
Even had a special AFSC, Z43151C. Thanks! Yep, just want to get something out to a few contacts as quickly, and as inexpensively as I can. Okay, what was the "Z" prefix for?
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Jim Scanlon (deceased)
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Dec 3, 2012 13:37:16 GMT 9
The "Z" prefix was for the F105D.
It was not, as far as I know, given to the B Model mechanics.
How long it lasted, I don't know.
When I got to Minot in January 1961 it was removed when I finished Six FTD School.
There were also some additional suffixes, but don't remember what they were.
I think one of them meant flight mechanic, but not sure.
No, I don't know why we got a prefix on the 105D, just did.
Must have had something to do with the nuke carrying capability.
Jim Too
:santahat
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