Congratulations to KD0SRD!

Eric has passed his Extra exam. BTARC congratulates Eric. Congratulations.

Antennas in the rain.

Lots of work... triband HF, 2m, 432, and 6m beams are up!!!

Well people said it couldn't be done...  yet here we are.

I now have a respectable station...

HF:

-Homebrew triband Vertical (built from an old Antron 99 CB antenna, some wire and a old coax)

-Wilson SY-33 3 element Triband beam
         -about 14.5 feet long boom
         -nearly 30 feet wide on each of the 3 elements

For 6m or 50Mhz  I took some scrap aluminum and PVC, this allowed me to build a 2 element Moxon, around 5.5dbd of gain and 25 DB front to back ratio...  it's about twice the size a 6m square halo antenna...  I have worked stations over 1000 miles out on this antenna.  The best part is that the antenna has a 50 ohm feed point at resonance without using a matching device and weighs almost nothing with less than a 0.75 square foot wind load

For 144Mhz (weak signal, not FM repeater work)  JD (N0IRS) gave me a Cushcraft 11 element beam, it works great...  I have managed contact as far as 354 miles...  and normally see 80-100 miles

As for 432Mhz (70cm weak signal) I recently installed a M2 28 element yagi from W0HPY...  he works at Johnstone and when I came int othe store, I met him and he gave me a bunch of antenna parts, this yagi was in the bunch of parts...  the elements were bent and the boom was twisted and bent...   AD0HW (Lee)  and I fixed the boom and then I got the antenna on the air...





Also N0RIV and AD0HW came by to help my sure up the mounting system for the  VHF/UHF stack

All of these are double lagged into at least one stud, with 19 lag bolts, 4 u bolts and 1 hose clamp...  I dont think this antenna stack is going anywhere...

All together the project consisted of the following:

- 1 Hygain Ham IV rotator and controller  -  trade

- 1 older CDE HAM IV rotator and controller -  traded for (2) two 150 foot runs of RG6u with PL259 ends

- 120 feet of rotor control line, half of this was given to me by N0IRS, the other half traded for some HAM radio labor

- nearly 200 feet of LMR 400  , FREE some of it came from AD0HW, most of it came from N0IRS

- misc mounts for free from AD0HW

- Wilson SY33 triband beam, $150

- misc  hose clamps  $15???

- 65 feet of RG-214u (for the triband HF beam)

- 3 sticks of all thread, nuts, and washers  $10

- misc nuts and bolts, $10???

- Diawa CS-201 switch (with fancy gold N connectors)  random trade

While finishing up I managed to cut myself when a hose clamp snapped and blood was rushing out... by the time I got off the roof there was a trail of blood from the roof, to the back deck, to the breakfast nook, to the kitchen, I was a little worried at first...  but hey it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, then it's just awesome!!!

I want to thank everyone that helped make this happen

- N0IRS, thank you for all the help, and the donations to get me on the air (2m yagi antenna, feed line, etc)

- N0RIV, thanks for the help

- AD0HW, thanks for the feed line, and the Yeti

- W0HPY, thanks for the 'antenna parts', built 1 antenna and repaired another from them

-KA0REN, thanks for loaning my your MFJ-259B analyzer

- 73 to all, I hope to hear you on the air

KD0SRD, closing station for the night

Member SK.

I regret to inform you that our El Presedente has passed away and become a silent key. Pablo Vazquez, the worlds only insect radio amatuer will be deeply missed. I would greatly appreciate if someone would pass the information to Larrys List for me as I am too depressed.

Maybe We'll Have Some Good Prop?

http://www.weather.com/news/science/solar-storm-earthbound-20140910?sf4596008=1