Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
  • You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.
  • Click here to find out how to win free radios from Retevis!

Base PDL II

Good luck with the Antenna, 357. I just finished up a home brew 4 element quad, and will put it up in a week or so weather permitting. We're in the midst of our thunderstorm season, so gotta be careful. After you get done talking to DXman, swing your antenna toward the southeast, and maybe we can hookup.

Jay Mojave - A quick question: I used #10 enameled mag wire for my driven element, but have plain #14 solid on the others. Should I use enameled wire on all ?? I'd like to know b4 I put it up. Thanx. Hopefully I can hook up with you too soon.

Larry - Good to see you on the forum. Really looking forward to talking with you again.

Thanks guys. 73s.

- J.J. (399)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 357
DXman said:
Hello 357,
When you get that ant. working, swing it south down here to Mt. Vernon on the horizontal. Then maybe we can connect instead of having to do it on back-scatter.

Also give Big Jay (373) a big hello from me.

Larry - 178
Click to expand...
Hey man, ya you bet.
73's!


unit_399 said:
After you get done talking to DXman, swing your antenna toward the southeast, and maybe we can hookup.


Thanks guys. 73s.

- J.J. (399)
Click to expand...

Gotta get some skip but I will

73's!
 
Last edited:
Quick note to J.J. (399)
I have been listening for S. America everyday for the last 2 wks - still weak on conditions for now.
It has been a long time since our last QSO..........

73
Larry - 178
 
  • Like
Reactions: 357
unit_399 said:
Good luck with the Antenna, 357. I just finished up a home brew 4 element quad, and will put it up in a week or so weather permitting. We're in the midst of our thunderstorm season, so gotta be careful. After you get done talking to DXman, swing your antenna toward the southeast, and maybe we can hookup.

Jay Mojave - A quick question: I used #10 enameled mag wire for my driven element, but have plain #14 solid on the others. Should I use enameled wire on all ?? I'd like to know b4 I put it up. Thanx. Hopefully I can hook up with you too soon.

Larry - Good to see you on the forum. Really looking forward to talking with you again.

Thanks guys. 73s.

- J.J. (399)
Click to expand...

Hello Unit_399: 14 gauge wire is ok but the reason I used the 10 Gauge wire it wasn't going to stretch as much, the supplied 14 gauge stranded copper wire supplied by Avanti with the antennas PDLII and the Moonraker 4 and 6 element quad/yagi antennas was cheap stuff. As it stretched too much in my onion. In fact the assembly instructions have you lay the 14 gauge wire out and tied to something and pull it to stretch it some what.

Using the 10 Gauge enameled wire, I tried to whale on it to stretch and I could not stretch as the 14 gauge wire could. Also be advised over the years copper products have less soft copper in them, and more steel in them as I am told.

Modifying and updated these antennas surly called for a better wire, that would not droop over the years.

The difference between enameled wire and other insulations I don't think there's a big difference in RF Impedance, but a good impedance matching system would tune any slight impedance difference out in my simple mind.

The noted wires that 357 listed are good stuff, and I have used them. Good luck on the 4 element quad, what type of matching system are you gonna use? One of the ways to see if the a beam antenna is working well is to see how much side and back rejection you have, should have deep nulls of -30 to -40 dB off the sides.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
 
  • Like
Reactions: 357
I wouldn't say wire diameter is critical. It will have an effect but that effect is minimal at 27 MHz. Many other factors will have a more pronounced effect like spacing between elements and surrounding objects including the ground.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 357
I have been following this thread with interest, I had a PDL up years ago and have stored it away since the early 90's. I think I will find it and try it out on 10 meters.
 

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • @ Crawdad:
    One of the few times my tiny station gets heard on 6m!:D
  • @ Galanary:
    anyone out here familiar with the Icom IC-7300 mods
  • @ Crawdad:
    7300 very nice radio, what's to hack?
  • @ kopcicle:
    The mobile version of this site just pisses me off
  • @ unit_399:
    better to be pissed off than pissed on.


      Top Bottom