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kc4rp

Joined: Sat, Apr 4th 1998, 00:00 Roles: N/A Moderates: N/A

Latest Topics

Topic Created Posts Views Last Activity
Unusual Antenna issue Jul 28th 2020, 18:15 1 4,100 on 28/7/20
Unlimited space with some limits - questions Jul 14th 2018, 08:59 3 5,111 on 30/7/18

Latest Posts

Topic Author Posted On
Unusual Antenna issue kc4rp on 28/7/20
Until recently my only antenna issues were XYL related since we had no HOA to deal with. I used a GAP challenger out behind the ham shack and it worked fine.
Then we moved.
My ham shack will be on the second floor of the barn that holds my wood shop on the ground floor. As far as the accommodations, go no issues at all. 60' x 90'. Commercial wood racks out back. The previous owners left a 70s vintage Craftsman table saw with built in indeed, outfield and side support tables for cabinet sheet goods. The problem is where to put the antenna. Looking to run 80 - 10 plus 6m and 2m. Out back of the barn is a holding pen for cattle for around 150 - 200 feet back. Behind that is one of the pastures - also a cow usage area. to one side is a county road and on the other two are areas with truck and tractor traffic. Kind of leaves a stealth antenna. Except the roof is all metal on top. The tin is OSB underneath supported with 2x6 joists and 2x4 rafters on 24" centers.

I'm not comfortable with mounting a GAP Challenger or Hustler to the roof with just tin and OSB to hold it. Am I stuck with a collection of ham sticks and recut CB verticals?

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

Rick KC4RP
Unlimited space with some limits - questions kc4rp on 30/7/18
The office I'll be using is on the upper floor of a barn and is at least 100 yds from the main house. Still thinking of the wire antenna as a temporary and maybe going to a GAP or Hustlet 2m - 80 M vertical in a few months depending on what we have grazing there. Goats or Alpacas I don't worry about as much as 500 lb or more steers. However, if the wire antenna works well, I'll keep it.
Unlimited space with some limits - questions kc4rp on 14/7/18
I'm moving to a new QTH and am faced with a set of issues on my antenna selection. Over the past decade or so I have been without any legal restrictions but a few XYL limits that have resulted in using my (in chronological order) my rain gutters (most of Europe and South America), a random length dipole strung up about 80' between 2 pine trees, and a GAP Challenger DX. I like the GAP but my new shack QTH presents issues. Its a 60'x90', 2 story barn that's mostly skinned in corrogated tin. The shack is a framed in and (somewhat ATM) If the GAP is in the ground there would be some INCREDIBLE shading to the North from the barn.

I can run a length of coax out the window to a balun and run some 12 guage stranded as the elements for a randome length, sloping, inverted vee with both elements over 100' in length. Tuning with an old MFJ mechanical tuner to get close enough for the Icom 746 or 7600 to handle it with the internal tuner.

This is looking like my best current option. Vee pointing north toward the barn. Sloping from about 25' to 30' at the wall of the barn to 5 ' to 10' at the 10" fenceposts on the other end. I'll be using 3-4" PVC attached to the posts if above 5'.

Any comments of suggestions welcome. A multi-wavelength Rhombic was considered briefly and discarded. Cost, logistics and the presence of cattle in the fields ranked high in this decision. A tower may happen sometime but not immediately. No HOA to worry about. Just want to get back on the air.

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