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CLUB FREQUENCY 80 METERS

8:29 est there is a"Rag Chewers Net" taking place on my end. Freq.s in use +-5k of .985 as well.

8:38 net just closed.

QRZ

Hey! Got KC9Q and W9FNB aka BJ Radionut on the freq.!

Enjoyed the short round table with you guys. I noticed another net jumped on the freq as soon as we were done.

73

Wayne C.
 
Last edited:
3985

I was on it was a few guys from the southern states, my sloper is pointed North, so will listen tmrw evening from 6:30 to 7:30 unless it storms
DOCTOR/795..SOUTHERN INDIANA
 
Perhaps, if this nationwide 75m/80m net is to flourish, we should all do our best to erect a 1/4 wave vertical with elevated radials for a lower TOA than a dipole or inverted vee, by using a copper wire running alongside a 4 section telescoping TV antenna push-up mast insulated from ground & guy wires, with the bottom of the mast / copper wire fed directly and with something like a Penetrator or Maco v58 (connected to the wire) on top and without a matching network, to get the full 58'-60' needed to tune nicely around 3.9MHz, plus 3-4 60'-63' wire radials beginning at the base of the mast and stretching out over the property - if possible.

You could also base or center load it if you can't get the full height, as well as using loaded wire radials if you can't fit 63' long wires on your property.

I've wanted an excuse to build one of these for several years just to see if it's vertical polarization would help me better QSO with East coast stations, which are a bit hard to get to on the inverted vee from here on the Left coast.

- Just a thought :mellow:
 
They work great, I had one at the FL QTH and plan on building one here at the GA QTH, I also put a matching network at the feed point to make it a 1/2 wl on 40 meters, now that was a DX screamer.

24 ground radials is the number to shoot for if it can be done.

In FL QTH I have 5 acres to play with, here in GA only 1.5 acres.

Miss that big antenna farm down in fl but maybe I can get back there if I can ever get the wife away from all the shopping malls here in Atlanta.

I am on 3.985 now looks like the net is done.




Needle Bender said:
Perhaps, if this nationwide net is to flourish, we should all do our best to erect a 1/4 wave vertical with elevated radials for a lower TOA than a dipole or inverted vee, by using a copper wire running alongside a 4 section telescoping TV antenna push-up mast insulated from ground & guy wires, with the bottom of the mast / copper wire fed directly and with something like a Penetrator or Maco v58 (connected to the wire) on top and without a matching network, to get the full 58'-60' needed to tune nicely around 3.9MHz, plus 3-4 60'-63' wire radials beginning at the base of the mast and stretching out over the property - if possible.

You could also base or center load it if you can't get the full height, as well as using loaded wire radials if you can't firt 63' long wires on your property.

I've wanted an excuse to build one of these for several years just to see if it's vertical polarization would help me better QSO with the East coast stations which are a bit hard to get to on the inverted vee from here on the Left coast.

- Just a thought :mellow:
Click to expand...
 
3985 is a broadcast frequency as well as 3975.
Yes, on 75m there are broadcast stations using this band.
We hear them in the east.
Someone was on calling CQ but was all distorted.
 
BJ radionut said:
KJ4IIF: Just gave you a call on 85...No luck
Rain static is building now due to storms moving in...

Thanks for chat Wayne WV4L and Mike KC9Q...73 fellows
Gary/W9FNB
Click to expand...

Gary Sorry I turned the rig off, full of static here so helping the daughter with her homework project.

Try again tomorrow hopefully.

Ken/KJ4IIF
 
KM3F said:
3985 is a broadcast frequency as well as 3975.
Yes, on 75m there are broadcast stations using this band.
We hear them in the east.
Someone was on calling CQ but was all distorted.
Click to expand...

After the net was over I heard some stations but they were down in the static and could not copy well enough to QSO.
 
Yeah, I know a guy who planted 120 radials under his back yard lawn, took him several months to finish, but I'm under the impression that if elevated, only 3-4 radials are needed to equal the performance of 100 at ground level.

Now that 1/2 wave for 40m comment has me thinking. Since a 1/2 wave has decent gain over the 1/4 and radiates it's high current node from the center, I wonder how feasible it would be to add a loading coil near the bottom and another near the top, keeping it reasonably shorter, but leaving most of the 75m/80m center 1/4 wave intact for maximum salvageable gain outside of the coiled areas, near the top & bottom where the current would be lowest, hopefully achieving both a lower TOA and a little gain over the 1/4 wave. (y)

Not to mention, a 1/2 wave only requires a .05 wave length counter poise, so 60'+ wires for the ground wouldn't be necessary.

I wonder if the matching network would be a biaaatch to build to handle the 4-1000As? :whistle:
 
If the real estate is not big enough then an inverted L antenna will work, just get as much as vertical as you can then slope the rest of the antenna in whatever direction you have room for.

Yes four raised ground radials are supposed to be equal to 120 ground laid ones.

I am thinking of how to insulate/isolate a 1.4wl 80 meter vertical so I can use 4 raised ground radials instead of digging so many trenches in the ground for radials.

Matching network for 40 meter 1/2 wl? I used an air variable cap and wound an inductor, switched it in circuit with a relay. It handled legal limit.

I never tried to use the 4X1 amp on the vertical on 40 meters through the matching network. It might handle it, then again maybe not??????
 
No, I was referring to a matching network for a 75m/80m 1/2 wave, but the same idea, though I'd be worried about the cap handling the high voltage.

Insulate a 1/4wl for 80m? Mount the bottom of the mast on a wooden base on your roof and paint it with Plastidip if you're concerned about rain-proofing.
 

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    EVAN/Crawdad :love: ...runna pile-up on 6m SSB(y) W4AXW in the air
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