My "AR-99" Ringo

[HomerBB]

A fellow tossed his blown out A99 my way when it would no longer tune. Someone had apparently fried it's innards.
It lay around for a while as my vertical dipole was doing just fine... until really high winds took out the mounting bracket. I decided it was a good time to use the fried A99.
I had a homebrewed Ringo style matcher so I mated them, tuned it up, and put it on the mast.

 

[HomerBB]

@The DB
Notice the 2m EDZ vertical?
I've gotten a couple good reports on it. I will have to add a little length as raising it up shifted the band center upward some. All the typical FM range is really good as it is.

 

[The DB]

@The DB
Notice the 2m EDZ vertical?
I've gotten a couple good reports on it. I will have to add a little length as raising it up shifted the band center upward some. All the typical FM range is really good as it is.

Happy to be of help.


The DB

 

[Redbeard U812]

That is really neat Homer. Thanks for posting. giving me some ideas. Looking at that homebrew ringo has got me pontificating. I got to finish this cubical quad first. doing a little at a time and have to stop due to "the engineering dept" coming up with other ideas. Darned engineer can't make his mind up. But I'm sure it will be structurally sound in the long run.

 

[Jay Mojave]

Hello HomerBB: We have a few locals use a Ringo type 11 meter antenna with good success, I was surprised. Good going using the A99 and a Ringo matching circuit. A great use of the A99 Antenna, as I am sure its a few dB hotter.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert.

 

[Redbeard U812]

Found this old thread :

https://www.worldwidedx.com/threads/how-to-build-an-11-meter-ringo.32940/

 

[Shockwave]

Homer, you truly live up to your "Macgyver" nickname. I'm just wondering if you mounted the guy wires that close to the base of the Ringo on purpose to use them as ground plane radials to decouple the feedline? Either way it probably helped because I know the low band VHF version of that antenna showed signs of CMC with the coax.

 

[HomerBB]

That is really neat Homer. Thanks for posting. giving me some ideas. Looking at that homebrew ringo has got me pontificating. I got to finish this cubical quad first. doing a little at a time and have to stop due to "the engineering dept" coming up with other ideas. Darned engineer can't make his mind up. But I'm sure it will be structurally sound in the long run.

It's always tough trying to out vote yourself on which way to go...

 

[HomerBB]

Hello HomerBB: We have a few locals use a Ringo type 11 meter antenna with good success, I was surprised. Good going using the A99 and a Ringo matching circuit. A great use of the A99 Antenna, as I am sure its a few dB hotter.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert.

Thanks, Jay.
I looked at the LC network, but opted for this one as it was just collecting dust.

 

[Redbeard U812]

Got it laid out with the math for a two or three element. Just can't decide. Have parts for the 2 element, but wondering on three. Some of my junk parts are not fitting together as planned and having to adjust. It's fun though.

 

[HomerBB]

Homer, you truly live up to your "Macgyver" nickname. I'm just wondering if you mounted the guy wires that close to the base of the Ringo on purpose to use them as ground plane radials to decouple the feedline? Either way it probably helped because I know the low band VHF version of that antenna showed signs of CMC with the coax.

Howdy, Shockwave.
Those guys are rope, so, nope. However, before the coax enters the shack there is a choke. It does tend to develope CMC. When I made an all metal version the CMC was a terrible thing to reckon with.

 

[HomerBB]

Got it laid out with the math for a two or three element. Just can't decide. Have parts for the 2 element, but wondering on three. Some of my junk parts are not fitting together as planned and having to adjust. It's fun though.

I've done that so many times - tape, hose clamps, soft line, tie wire...

 

[Redbeard U812]

Have electric fence fiberglass rods needing to be bushed out to fit I.D. of 1/2" SCH 40. PEX tubing (1/2") not thick enough. Black garden hose too thick. Both have to be split with a segment taken out length wise. I'm digging around here. Found some soft clear plastic tubing which fits fiberglass rod, but the O.D. is smaller Dia. than the I.D. of 1/2" sch 40 pvc. I want to stay away from metal hose clamps. I'll use small Sht. Mtl. Screws to lock the PVC and Fiberglass rods down with. The spiders have morphed several times. 5 way PVC would have been nice but not readily available, drilling so counter the PVC beam. 1/2" PVC ran thru 1-1/2" PVC at 90 deg. The holes will be 90 deg. out and offset to facilitate spider. This is mostly from scrap parts lying around the farm here. 2 element beam is 2'-10 5/16" from center to center of element. No matching. 50 Ohm. elements are S.S. Welding wire (hardrawn, unkown thk.) prob. .045 or .055. Tough stuff. Won't have much wind resistance there. Three element would constitute additional director at same C to C dim. Wind is a factor here. Right off the Gulf. Elevation will be 5/8 wave length or 3/4 wave length, keeping it relatively low below 28'-0". Old telescoping TV antenna that was discarded after Hurricane Harvey, just cut the broken off the bottom. With guys from that wire used by the Elect. Co-Op for running transmission lines from pole to pole. May document with "8 x 10 semi gloss photos with a paragraph on the back describing the crime scene" once concluded. This started out short, sorry about railing on.

 

[HomerBB]

Have electric fence fiberglass rods needing to be bushed out to fit I.D. of 1/2" SCH 40. PEX tubing (1/2") not thick enough. Black garden hose too thick. Both have to be split with a segment taken out length wise. I'm digging around here. Found some soft clear plastic tubing which fits fiberglass rod, but the O.D. is smaller Dia. than the I.D. of 1/2" sch 40 pvc. I want to stay away from metal hose clamps. I'll use small Sht. Mtl. Screws to lock the PVC and Fiberglass rods down with. The spiders have morphed several times. 5 way PVC would have been nice but not readily available, drilling so counter the PVC beam. 1/2" PVC ran thru 1-1/2" PVC at 90 deg. The holes will be 90 deg. out and offset to facilitate spider. This is mostly from scrap parts lying around the farm here. 2 element beam is 2'-10 5/16" from center to center of element. No matching. 50 Ohm. elements are S.S. Welding wire (hardrawn, unkown thk.) prob. .045 or .055. Tough stuff. Won't have much wind resistance there. Three element would constitute additional director at same C to C dim. Wind is a factor here. Right off the Gulf. Elevation will be 5/8 wave length or 3/4 wave length, keeping it relatively low below 28'-0". Old telescoping TV antenna that was discarded after Hurricane Harvey, just cut the broken off the bottom. With guys from that wire used by the Elect. Co-Op for running transmission lines from pole to pole. May document with "8 x 10 semi gloss photos with a paragraph on the back describing the crime scene" once concluded. This started out short, sorry about railing on.

That's how it's done.
I usually just wrapped the fiberglass dowels (or whatever I was using) with black electrical tape to shim it out to fit in a larger tube.

 

[Redbeard U812]

Thought about elect. tape, but that gets hot and cold, slides, expands, and shrinks. Looking to make those connections sturdy, so hunting bushing materials. Besides I'm finding all kinds of other useful stuff along that path.