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Well, the project is still progressing although not as quickly as I'd like. Life has a way of doing that.

I have collected nearly everything I need to finish the project except for coax, guy wire, another batch of concrete mix, ummm, I'm sure there's more.

I decided to make my own tilting base plate for the mast, have decided on what type I will try to use and got the raw materials. After seeing what was for sale out there and how much some of the better ones would cost, I ended up getting a decent MIG/TIG welder so I can pursue this as a hobby too. I haven't welded anything since high school so it's been awhile.

I have two of the three holes I need dug. I can't dig the third one until I take down the existing mast since the new mast is going up in the same place I have the current one.

A buddy with roofing experience is going to help me install the guy wire anchors on our new roof to minimize the chances of them causing any leaks.

This project can't be done soon enough for me. I am now having an issue I don't recall seeing before. When I have the amp on the high power setting and being driven anything more than maybe 60 percent of its stated input power, when I have the mic keyed the SWR is low for about the first five seconds and then over the next 10 seconds or so creeps up until I unkey the mic (it does not do this with a dummy load). Something is reflecting something somewhere. I have the RF power on the radio set so that the amp dead keys at about 50 watts, which is a lot lower than I was told I should use. I was told 80 watts if using the 2sc2879 transistors or 100 watts using the 2879hg-c transistors I got. The SWR meter is between the amp and antenna. The SWR is nice and low when the amp is off. I doubt there's much difference in my ultimate signal strength pushing out maybe 275 watts at this reduced drive level compared to 400 watts when pushing it harder. I just don't want to damage anything. Taking the antenna down will give me a great chance to go over all the connections I can't currently reach.

Good thing the journey is part of the fun otherwise all of this may be a big PITA.

<blockquote data-quote="TimmyTheTorch" data-source="post: 815054" data-attributes="member: 64271">Well, the project is still progressing although not as quickly as I&#039;d like. Life has a way of doing that.I have collected nearly everything I need to finish the project except for coax, guy wire, another batch of concrete mix, ummm, I&#039;m sure there&#039;s more.I decided to make my own tilting base plate for the mast, have decided on what type I will try to use and got the raw materials. After seeing what was for sale out there and how much some of the better ones would cost, I ended up getting a decent MIG/TIG welder so I can pursue this as a hobby too. I haven&#039;t welded anything since high school so it&#039;s been awhile.I have two of the three holes I need dug. I can&#039;t dig the third one until I take down the existing mast since the new mast is going up in the same place I have the current one.A buddy with roofing experience is going to help me install the guy wire anchors on our new roof to minimize the chances of them causing any leaks.This project can&#039;t be done soon enough for me. I am now having an issue I don&#039;t recall seeing before. When I have the amp on the high power setting and being driven anything more than maybe 60 percent of its stated input power, when I have the mic keyed the SWR is low for about the first five seconds and then over the next 10 seconds or so creeps up until I unkey the mic (it does not do this with a dummy load). Something is reflecting something somewhere. I have the RF power on the radio set so that the amp dead keys at about 50 watts, which is a lot lower than I was told I should use. I was told 80 watts if using the 2sc2879 transistors or 100 watts using the 2879hg-c transistors I got. The SWR meter is between the amp and antenna.&nbsp; The SWR is nice and low when the amp is off. I doubt there&#039;s much difference in my ultimate signal strength pushing out maybe 275 watts at this reduced drive level compared to 400 watts when pushing it harder. I just don&#039;t want to damage anything. Taking the antenna down will give me a great chance to go over all the connections I can&#039;t currently reach.Good thing the journey is part of the fun otherwise all of this may be a big PITA.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="TimmyTheTorch, post: 815054, member: 64271"] Well, the project is still progressing although not as quickly as I'd like. Life has a way of doing that. I have collected nearly everything I need to finish the project except for coax, guy wire, another batch of concrete mix, ummm, I'm sure there's more. I decided to make my own tilting base plate for the mast, have decided on what type I will try to use and got the raw materials. After seeing what was for sale out there and how much some of the better ones would cost, I ended up getting a decent MIG/TIG welder so I can pursue this as a hobby too. I haven't welded anything since high school so it's been awhile. I have two of the three holes I need dug. I can't dig the third one until I take down the existing mast since the new mast is going up in the same place I have the current one. A buddy with roofing experience is going to help me install the guy wire anchors on our new roof to minimize the chances of them causing any leaks. This project can't be done soon enough for me. I am now having an issue I don't recall seeing before. When I have the amp on the high power setting and being driven anything more than maybe 60 percent of its stated input power, when I have the mic keyed the SWR is low for about the first five seconds and then over the next 10 seconds or so creeps up until I unkey the mic (it does not do this with a dummy load). Something is reflecting something somewhere. I have the RF power on the radio set so that the amp dead keys at about 50 watts, which is a lot lower than I was told I should use. I was told 80 watts if using the 2sc2879 transistors or 100 watts using the 2879hg-c transistors I got. The SWR meter is between the amp and antenna. The SWR is nice and low when the amp is off. I doubt there's much difference in my ultimate signal strength pushing out maybe 275 watts at this reduced drive level compared to 400 watts when pushing it harder. I just don't want to damage anything. Taking the antenna down will give me a great chance to go over all the connections I can't currently reach. Good thing the journey is part of the fun otherwise all of this may be a big PITA. [/QUOTE]

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