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copper vertical

Dolmetsch

Member
Dec 24, 2010
37
0
16
I have been off the air for a long time. Ever since moving to this QTH ham radio has not been fun. I moved here in 83. I strugggled for a few years but finally gave up in frustration. Even with a triband beam I could do very little. Lately I got back at it a bit. I got into the old Glowbug stuff. One thing led to another and I decided to blow the dust off my KNWD (TS830 ). I didn't have an antenna so it was off to home depot for some copper plumbing. The old coax still lay by the side of the house. I whipped up a 3/4 inch copper pipe verticle with the last 16 inches made from a 95 Dodge truck radio antenna. At the junction of that and the copper I soldered a Campbells soup can lid. (I dont know why either , it just seemed the thing to do. ) I made a wooden point thing to stand it on and soldered a 3/4 to 1 inch adapter to the bottom. Total length was 16 feet 7 inches. I propped it vertical in the flowering crab apple tree and tied it secure. Going to my shop I found a length of 5/16 steel rod about 20 inches long. I drove it with a hammer into the frozen ground. Luckily it stopped moving when it was about 2 inches left out of the ground. I soldered a couple of clips to my old coax. (Electric fencer clips from TSC) I plugged in the old Kenwood and plugged in the antenna. I then cycled the switches to get them working properly. I dug the book out to make sure I still knew how to tune the transmitter and gave it a quick tune. I checked the SWR ratio at 14.090. Not bad just under 1.2 to 1. I found the key and plugged it in and switched on the vox for semi breakin mode. I havent done Cw now in probably 15 -20 years but I gave it a shot and called CQ. My hand was terrible I know but I called anyway. Immediatley I was answered by a N04-- and that went well until someone near by started tuning up on top of us. When that finished he was gone. I slipped over to 14.2 and making sure I was in the clear, retuned. I checked the SWR . Even better here. I tuned down a few KCs and heard a CO6. I waited my turn and called. Immediate response. Good signal report too.
:D Why does this antenna work so much better here? I dont really know. It must be the location is more favourable to this homebrew vertical. Whatever the reason I am back enjoying my hobby once again. I have a cheap stealthy antenna stuck up through a tree with a ground rod in the ground . Cost was very low. Performance is very good. Its has been a long time coming but "We're back!
Don VE3LYX
 
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Here are some pics.
The first is the whole antenna stuck up through the tree.
The second shows a close up of the 95 Dodge truck antenna and the soup can lid at the top.
The third is at the base just clipped on. I probably have less than 2.5 hours and probably under $35 invested. I am super happy with this antenna. I wish I had built this 25 years ago!
Don VE3LYX
Specs
3/4 inch copper with car antenna top. 16 feet 7 inches total length.
ground rod length 20 inches. Straight in.
 

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Congrats!
But doesn't those clamps strike you as being a little 'iffy' for possible loss of continuity?
Sudden rise of SWR @ power = damaged finals?

Maybe a better connection can be in the upgrade.
Shouldn' cost very much to do
 
Well yes although they are pretty strong. Corrosion on the ground rod worrys me too down the road, but, still to me ,just to whip it up from the 234 factor formula, stand it up, have it tune relatively flat in my favourite Freq's and to be able to get out at this QTH , something I could never do well before thrills me. When my smile fades I will make it more permanent. I probably havent even turned the rig on in 5 years. Now I have a very useable piece. Not perfect maybe but I AM Stoked! My last QTH was excellant. When I moved here my hobby died , even with a cushcraft tribander I could not get out well. Now I get an answer everytime almost. What is not to like?
Don VE3LYX
 
Don, having run Cushcraft tribanders as well as verticals, dipoles, inverted L's etc, etc, etc, I can assure you that despite your apparent findings the antenna you are currently reporting great success with is not really any better than the tribander unless you had some really severe problems with it. I would suspect that the current state of propagation is what is making the difference. A few years ago I was using a Cushcraft A3 tribander at 40 feet and not having much luck.That antenna was finally destroyed by Mother Nature and today I am using an 80m doublet fed with 450 ohm ladder line with the apex at 35 feet and it works great. The bands are in much better shape now than they were several years ago and will continue to get better in the next year or two. It is impossible to compare two antennas years, weeks or even hours apart and get a true indication of how they compare.I know for a fact that when I get the new Explorer 14 I have stashed in the shed installed next year it will blow this "great working" doublet out of the water. The only true comparisons are those done in real time at the same time.
 
I certainly understand that . A tribander should outperform a vertical under any condition. If it is only band conditions so be it. I'll take it although you have to remember I have lived here since 1983. This is the first I have been able to get out at will. So I will give the cycle a few good points for sure but I have been through a couple before remember. Over 2 I believe. Anyway I am not trying to suggest for a monent this is a super duper answer to all problems antenna. It is however a very decent working 20 meter antenna that anyone could afford and could build and erect in an afternoon. That is why I like it. The fact that it just happens to work realy well at this QTH which was before a dud location for me is just "bonus." As you can imagine after struggling for many years and finally throwing in the towel to be able to switch it on and connect in a few minutes at will which I have been doing this afternoon and tonight has rejuvenated my interest. There is nothing more frustrating that being unable to make a contact with a good rig and good beam. My Dad a P Eng in Electronics and an expert in Aircraft radio and HF suggested to me this location had different ground properties than the other. I sold the triander to VA3UZ (former CF3UZ) and he is a contester and used it well. I still have the same feed line and put the tower at the road some years ago with a FREE sign on it. I had given up. And even if like you say it is band related I'll take it. I am surprised though how flat it is SWRwise. Whatever the case it is the best $35 I have spent in a long time.
This saft I was able to crack a DX pile up. No easy task runing barefoot with a hundred others calling. I want to work Germany (oder Deutschland) tomorrow. If the pattern holds I think 1.30 to 2 .30 pm will work.
Don VE3LYX
I was just thinking what antennas I have run too. The tribander (was also an A3 .) I had a inverted V for lowerbands as well I also had a phased 20 M vertical working for awhile at the other place. I had a wire vertical here which worked but not well. Probably not good ground where it was on the property and being wire it was narrower (BW)as well.
At the other place the A3 was absolutley wonderful. I moved everything down here about 1/2 mile east and it all went south!
I am thinking of tryning a beverage for 80m. I hate heights and dont like spending money!
 
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Actually Don there are times when a simple vertical will outperform a tribander. One time is when propagation favours vertical polarization and the other is on long haul DX when the vertical may have a lower take off angle than the beam especially if the beam is mounted less than 1/2 wavelength high. These occurrences are not predictable nor are they consistant however. As for the wide SWR bandwidth I suspect that has to do with ground losses. Any vertical needs a good RF ground in the form of radials to work top notch. Many amateurs will install radials and watch the SWR meter, stopping when they notice an increase in SWR as more radials are added. That is the wrong thing to do as more radials will increase the efficiency of the antenna but shift the impedance towards 35 ohms rather than the 50 ohms they shoot for. This extra impedance (ground losses) caused by a less than perfect ground is also what causes a wide SWR bandwidth. A vertical with a perfect ground is actually a quite narrow bandwidth antenna. The same principal holds true in mobile HF antenna installations. Years ago I thought I had hit gold when my homebrew antenna would tune less than 2:1 from 12m all the way up to the high end of 10m. Then I fixed the ground straps and bonded a few body panels and saw the SWR bandwidth reduce to less than half what it originally was yet the antenna performed better than before. Some people say that radio is magic but I say that radio can be fully explained, it's the antennas that are full of voodoo. :D
 
Well yes although they are pretty strong. Corrosion on the ground rod worrys me too down the road, but, still to me ,just to whip it up from the 234 factor formula, stand it up, have it tune relatively flat in my favourite Freq's and to be able to get out at this QTH , something I could never do well before thrills me. When my smile fades I will make it more permanent. I probably havent even turned the rig on in 5 years. Now I have a very useable piece. Not perfect maybe but I AM Stoked! My last QTH was excellant. When I moved here my hobby died , even with a cushcraft tribander I could not get out well. Now I get an answer everytime almost. What is not to like?
Don VE3LYX

Don, while the heavies talk to the science of all this, and I'm glad they do so I can learn from them, I just want to say I'm stoked with you about this success. It can be argued that I'm as dumb as a box of rocks where antennas are concerned with enormous success (at least my wife thinks so), yet, I think there is nothing more satisfying in the world of radio than putting together something from a handful of hardware store parts and getting on the air. Congrats on your success and your renewed interest.
Homer.
 
Thanks Homer. In my other life I built race engines and ran a 1 man auto machine shop . I am a mech and auto machinist by trade. Even though it is also now my hobby in that field I think like these fellows do in this one. There is nothing unexplainable. I understood it completley. Even though I have a basic understanding of radio I said to my wife just last week "I will never understand this like I understand engines. " That kind of frustrates me to be honest. Still i love building stuff. 1 tube regen sets are and have been a passion of mine as long as I can remember. In fact one is sitting near me here right now. Battery powered too. I always since I was about 7 years old always have at least one crystal set around. I always figured that is why toilet paper comes on a carboard roll. So you can make crystals set coils. ;>) My main rig is a KNWD 830 . I figured it would do me a lifetime and bought it when I had fulller pockets. I was getting ready to make a set of ground radials today but then decided to try the steel rod. I was surprised there was that much soil there. Usually it is only 6 inches here but it went in the full length. Anyway. I will try a set of radials later this week. Meanwhile I am glad to be back and on the air after so long a break.
Don VE3LYX
 
FB on the Kenwood TS-830 Don. I have a nearly mint TS-820S and some accessories for it here as a backup rig. I love the old Kenwood. I would love to pick up an 830 if I could even find one in nice shape and a reasonable price.
 
I have been busy but still have been able to hook up with a NO2, W7, A CO6, A PY2 and a GIO. Would really like a DL but so far havent heard any on. Still happy. Heard a couple of ZS s and an EA today as well as a XE but they were busy talking so i didnt try them.
Don VE3LYX
 
Congradulations DON ; its good to hear that you,ve renewed your interest in the radio hobby , & it started with a homebrew project ! Just to top it all off its worked out all so well ? Often people ask me about my radio hobby , & ask why do you bother to build your own antennas etc; ? I often respond by telling them if i just wanted to talk without any effort or personall reward i would use a phone . I love to do my homebrew projects with what i have avaliable to use , the more used materials the better ? Another part of the hobby i love is its one of the few things i have with no payments , even air time is free ! Maybe theirs some magic in that old crab apple tree?? all the best , Lucky 13 Bob.Althouse.
 

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