Spring Antenna Projects

So does anyone have a Spring antenna project coming up?

I think I am going to try a 40M vert about 15 feet tall with a tophat. I want to see how well that would work.

But that is me.

[ad4mg]

I'm going to try a 17 meter bi-square on a 45' mast ... autocad dwg without the dimensions:

http://mysite.verizon.net/ad4mg/17m_bi-square.jpg

Mast pipe is yellow and is abt 45' tall

Antenna is white ... each side is 25'-11 15/16" long x 4 sides

Insulators in green (none shown at ends of the 2 elements)

Parachute cord guy wires shown in red

The antenna is fed at the top, working on matching calculations now so no details yet

Lowest point of the antenna is abt 8' above the ground

{I resized the image quite small & the colors bled out pretty bad - sorry!}

-----------------------

I want to get this up, re-make my 80 meter dipole (fed w/450 ohm ladder line) and re-hang it (abt 65' up),
and replace my very old 10 meter rotatable vee dipole. If I get all that completed before all the leaves are
in the trees, and the hot weather sets in, I'll be a happy camper!

[K1OU]

I've pulled a lot of ideas from this site...

http://cebik.com/

[kb9rqz]

well first will be getting a modified g5rv up first time with an antenna that size 215 ft long

geting the 20 m zepp up a bit more of the ground looking at maybe a 10 m beam next the first 6 m not to be turned into something out of the revenge of fu manchu by the snow and ice upp here hopefully a few more

the only good thing about having realy poors anttenas is that their is not where to go but up

[N2RJ]

Gonna put up my tower.

4 element SteppIR should be on order soon.

[N3ATS]

1. Gonna put up my 60-40 Meter wire antenna up. Was going to make it long enough for 75, but there's nothing down there I want to listen to.

Then again, since I am a major PSK nut, I may make it long enough to tune down to the 80 meter portion.

2. I gotta tune the GAP Titan so it works without a tuner. If someone is lucky enough to put one together per the letter of the instructions (like I did) and have it resonant where it's supposed to be resonant, they're a better man than me.

3. Buy/build a 4-element 6 meter yagi.

[N3ATS]

4 element SteppIR should be on order soon.

Must be nice to have money, OM! :lol:

[ad4mg]

Must be nice to have money...

Really. I don't have the disposable income for towers and yagis, so I play with wire and conduit!

And Jerry, w4rnl's site is a gold mine for antenna information. I visit frequently.

I enjoy designing antennas in autocad, where I can scale them, and get a good idea of what I'm doing. I concluded, for example, that 17 meters was my practical limit for the bi-square. The end needs to be at least 7' - 8' off the ground for safety reasons, and a 45' mast is pretty tall considering I'll be using 1-1/2" galvanized chain link fence rail. I will probably install a 12 meter bi-square on the same mast, rotated 90 degrees opposite the 17 meter elements, and depend only on the antennas for guying and supporting the mast. I may get lucky and be able to use the same feedline for both antennas.

Antennas are fun, and it's really where you can improve your station the most. An amplifier (I have one, seldom use it) is nice, but it does nothing for your receive. If you can't hear them, you certainly can't work them!

73-Luke

[rot]

5 lenghts of 14mhz as a vee beam.
fix the 6m quad.
Can't promise spring.
Maybe by fall.
rot

Rhombic by 2012.

[N2RJ]

4 element SteppIR should be on order soon.

Must be nice to have money, OM! :lol:

Yes it is, I guess. I wouldn't know. I'm selling some of my older gear to pay for it.

I didn't plan on spending so much but this "hobby" is a money pit.

But I've spent 10 years using wire, compromise and vertical antennas, isn't it time for a change?

[kf0rt]

4 element SteppIR should be on order soon.

Must be nice to have money, OM! :lol:

Yes it is, I guess. I wouldn't know. I'm selling some of my older gear to pay for it.

I didn't plan on spending so much but this "hobby" is a money pit.

But I've spent 10 years using wire, compromise and vertical antennas, isn't it time for a change?

If I just bought the place you got, I'd have factored at least $10K into the purchase price for antennas alone. And, I'd be telling the XYL it was "this year's antenna budget" just so's she'd know I was only getting started. :lol: :P :lol:

[N2RJ]

I don't have to justify to the XYL. She's a ham too, and the SteppIR is her idea. :shock:

[kb9rqz]

I don't have to justify to the XYL. She's a ham too, and the SteppIR is her idea. :shock:

indeed I am finding that handy as well having a ham wife she was licensed and worked Feild day last year and enjoyed herself

[N3ATS]

4 element SteppIR should be on order soon.

Must be nice to have money, OM! :lol:

But I've spent 10 years using wire, compromise and vertical antennas, isn't it time for a change?

Hey, more power to ya. If I could do it I would. No room, and not enough money. I was offered a Mosley Tri-bander, but I haven't the room to turn it.

Okay, enough of the BS, let me level with you...

I'm jealous! :lol:

[ad4mg]

Another great source of information on antennas is AC6V's site. The antenna section is here:

Amateur Radio Antenna Projects (http://ac6v.com/antprojects.htm)

Lots of interesting ideas, and some links for those interested in antenna theory.

[KU4MY]

I've pulled a lot of ideas from this site...

http://cebik.com/

"Stimpy, you fool! He has a 4 land call which makes him mentally challenged!"

[K1OU]

I've pulled a lot of ideas from this site...

http://cebik.com/

"Stimpy, you fool! He has a 4 land call which makes him mentally challenged!"

Probably a northerner gone south.

[KU4MY]

I've pulled a lot of ideas from this site...

http://cebik.com/

"Stimpy, you fool! He has a 4 land call which makes him mentally challenged!"

Probably a northerner gone south.

HAH!!! Okay gang, don't laugh, but, I came across this back a few months ago and was thinking about doing a little experimenting on this subject. I can't seem to find any more info than this so I will have to contact N9ZRT about it I guess. Anyway, here is a couple of links showing what I had stumbled upon. I think I may have shared these with Charles, CGC, but am not sure. Anyway, if any of you guys ahve heard of this, or have played with these, I would be interested in what you have to share.

http://www.wireservices.com/n9zrt/ila/ila.html
http://www.wireservices.com/n9zrt/ifa/ideas/FAQ.html
Or scroll down this page until you get here... "First QSO reported between ionic fluid antennas...." http://www2.arrl.org/news/stories/2001/03/22/1/?nc=1

[ad4mg]

HAH!!! Okay gang, don't laugh, but, I came across this back a few months ago and was thinking about doing a little experimenting on this subject. I can't seem to find any more info than this so I will have to contact N9ZRT about it I guess. Anyway, here is a couple of links showing what I had stumbled upon. I think I may have shared these with Charles, CGC, but am not sure. Anyway, if any of you guys ahve heard of this, or have played with these, I would be interested in what you have to share.

http://www.wireservices.com/n9zrt/ila/ila.html
http://www.wireservices.com/n9zrt/ifa/ideas/FAQ.html
Or scroll down this page until you get here... "First QSO reported between ionic fluid antennas...." http://www2.arrl.org/news/stories/2001/03/22/1/?nc=1

Interesting, and I saw an article on it from a link of AC6V's site a while back. I would think that the benefits would have to be pretty significant, though. The construction of one of these things looks to be a real task.

Better audio with one? I'd have to hear the explanation for that!

[KU4MY]

HAH!!! Okay gang, don't laugh, but, I came across this back a few months ago and was thinking about doing a little experimenting on this subject. I can't seem to find any more info than this so I will have to contact N9ZRT about it I guess. Anyway, here is a couple of links showing what I had stumbled upon. I think I may have shared these with Charles, CGC, but am not sure. Anyway, if any of you guys ahve heard of this, or have played with these, I would be interested in what you have to share.

http://www.wireservices.com/n9zrt/ila/ila.html
http://www.wireservices.com/n9zrt/ifa/ideas/FAQ.html
Or scroll down this page until you get here... "First QSO reported between ionic fluid antennas...." http://www2.arrl.org/news/stories/2001/03/22/1/?nc=1

Interesting, and I saw an article on it from a link of AC6V's site a while back. I would think that the benefits would have to be pretty significant, though. The construction of one of these things looks to be a real task.

Better audio with one? I'd have to hear the explanation for that!

Me too, that 'claim; seems a bit much to me. :roll:

Reminds me of the old "Color TV" antennas they used to sell.

Well, we need to let the ESSB people know about this one.

[KU4MY]

Reminds me of the old "Color TV" antennas they used to sell.

Well, we need to let the ESSB people know about this one.

HAH! You cheeky devil! :twisted: