With it less then a month away I thought I would start a post to remind people that we did discuss the prospect of a Low Band VHF Fun Day!
During the discussions on the UHF Fun Day reflector, Sunday the 5th of June was chosen. I think that this was due to the prospect of Sporadic E being at its best!
So what summits will people be on?
I myself am aiming for Heath Mynd G/WB-007! I think it has never been activated on 6m so I fancy having a go at it! I also hope to spend some time on 51.51MHz as not enough people use the FM part of 6m!
Equipment for me will be the 817 for 6m and it will also act as the driver for my Spectrum Comms Transverter on 4m! Antennas will be a 6m Dipole and my home brew 4m 3ele beam!
Good to see the new callsign appearing Matt, even if I have not yet heard it on air.
Not sure if we will have time for this one and there is also the problem of lack of kit. No aerial for 6m and nothing at all that will do 4m. Might have time to make a J-pole (or two) but will then need a new fishing rod to support them as the old one is past its best, having two breaks patched up with tape.
If we do get out it will probably be Shobdon Hill (G/WB-017), so I suppose a tree or two would let me leave the fishing rod behind. Might even try ssb: does a J-pole work OK if stretched out horizontal? (Assuming usual conventions apply on 6m.) I see it is only about 25km S of WB-007 and nothing in the way so should be a good path.
73
Rod
PS - I posted something similar yesterday but it disappeared, so if I end up double posting that is why. It just did it again; did I see something about apostrophes being illegal, sometime? Try again, without any! YES, editing out the apostrophes has done it; good job I read other posts, even if they only get half noticed. Is this apostrophe problem wisespread on the web?
I have not been about in the evening, hence the lack of activity! Cricket seems to be taking up most of my time at the moment!
However with regards the antenna situation! For 50MHz SSB I would build a simple Wire Dipole, use a bit of old perspex and get some type of RF Socket and you will be on 6m! You could also put links in to get it resonant at 4m as well. I suppose this could then be rigged in a horizontal or vertical plane!
For 6m FM with Viki(Apostrophe)s new VX7 I would have a word with M0MYA Dave, Ask him about his 6m Antenna that comprises a quarter wavelength bit of wire which feeds into a camera 35mm canister where inside is a BNC socket and a LC Parralel Tuned circuit. Ross G6GVI has built them for four so I am sure they are easy to scale up!
In reply to G8ADD:
Whoops!!! It is a good system I believe, however Dave MYA is the main man when it comes to actually making the thing!
I did contemplate a Slimjim for 6m, made from 450 ohm ladder feed. However I would need a 9m fishing pole and that is just to excessive!
Brian, have you ever inverted a slimjim? Rod has asked and I have no idea as to whether it would work? My instinct says no but antennas are strange things!
Congrats on the new call, and also on the new job!
A couple of weeks ago, you said you knew of some mods to the Moonraker 3 element 4 metre yagi to improve the matching arrangements. I wonder if you can remember where I could find details? You can email me at g3nyy@dsl.pipex.com
No, I have never tried that. Looking at the design I dont see why it shouldnt work, the bottom half is just an impedence transformer. Ill tell you what, I have a dusty and long-forgotten one leaning in the corner of the shack, Ill give it a try later on and see what happens!
I made a wire slim jim for six, but it was so long I shelved the project - thats in a box somewhere in here, too, along with a quarter-wave inverted L with coax coils for 15/40/80/160 that I decided was too heavy! I live in the Land of Lost Projects…I bet we all do!
Yes I do remember, I am sorry for keeping you waiting! I have been so busy, I understand that you spoke to my dad, he would of presumably told you of everything that has been going on HI!!
Anyway I shall endeavour to find the articles and at work we have a photocopier that scans to PDF files! I will send these to you!
Worth a go is always an approach to take! The amount of Antennas in my shack is just silly! However it is always far more satisfying building your own! I will be interested to see how you get on!
Top band is certainly interesting just beacause of the sheer scale! Will have to try an extra long EDP!!!
Hi Mike
Looks a good one! Having said that if you want a truly portable system then try this one!
In reply to MM0FMF:
Horizontal polarity! I would think that it wont work, but as Brian will testify 85 foot of wire in an inverted L Works! Antennas are strange things!
One big advantage of J-poles is that you feed them from the end. For a vertical dipole you need to ensure the feed exits normally to the elements for a 1/4wave length. This can be difficult to achieve for 6m dipole on a summit. Failure to do so will lead to poor results (c.f. Delilah and his X300 with apparent 36dBd gain).
The same holds true for a horizontal dipole but you get that for free thanks Isaac Newton inventing gravity in the 1600s and the way a horizontal dipole is mounted on a pole!
Many thanks for your reply. Yes, I would be very interested in the mods to the Moonraker yagi if you can dig them out.
No, I had not seen the Sirio yagi from Nevada. It is not clear what the feed arrangement is on that one, though. I had been considering one of the Vine Antennas offerings as an alternative … either their conventional 3 el yagi, or the new Loop Yagi. However, I`ll wait until I see the mods to the Moonraker one first.
Did your dad mention that I have one of the AnyTone 4m 25-watt rigs now? I`m very pleased with it.
One big advantage of J-poles is that you feed them from the end. For a
vertical dipole you need to ensure the feed exits normally to the
elements for a 1/4wave length. This can be difficult to achieve for 6m
dipole on a summit. Failure to do so will lead to poor results (c.f.
Delilah and his X300 with apparent 36dBd gain).
There is one thing I did learn very quickly about Amateur Radio, Andy. There are the detractors and there are those who work pile-up after pile-up
BTW, subject to wx, Cyrn-y-Brain next Saturday. Will most likely take along the X-510 for a bit of fun.
Well I hope the WX is good for you. I will map it once you have logged it (and I remember how to port the SQLSVR backup to MySQL).
I amm not sure if I tried the tea at the Ponderosa since it changed management/ownership. It used to be cracking stuff. Perhaps someone like Tom who will have sampled the entire menu by now can comment.
Everything at the Ponderosa is still great. NW-042 and NW-043 is one of those SOTA days that you just have to do every calendar year, because of the Ponderosa. I always enjoy that day of walking.
NW-042 and NW-043 is one of those SOTA days that you just have to do every calendar year, because of the Ponderosa.
Some of us don`t Tom…
I actually by-passed the Ponderosa when I activated these summits back in 2007, but then I had no need to use the facility as I had been furnished with excellent scoff courtesy of “Maison BVE”
I`m not sure whether I will be able to appear on a summit for this event as family may take precedence, so hope I you all have a good time and make lots of contacts.
I`m not sure whether I will be able to appear on a summit for this event as
family may take precedence, so hope I you all have a good time and make lots
of contacts.
Unfortunately, I also have a long-standing family engagement on that date in the vicinity of Newbury and I cannot change it at this stage.
However, there is just a possibility that I may be able to fit in a brief appearance from Walbury Hill (G/SE-001) late in the day.
In reply to G3NYY:
Dad did mention the Anytone! I have not looked back since I had mine, it is incredibly compact and light so the Wouxun may have a little rest soon!
With regards to Mike YYY! Ignore these sarcastic comments Mike, Just keep on going up the hills and talking on the radio, or playing around with antennas! It is interesting to hear your comments! Furthermore I will be at the other end to talk to you!
Will you be on SP-004 during the Low Band fun day? You could soon rig up a 6m Dipole!!
