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Red_devil
Junior Member
Username: Red_devil
Post Number: 34
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, February 05, 2005 - 4:53 pm: | 
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I will preface these suggestions with my situational restrictions. First, I live in military quarters and the government frowns on anyone drilling into or mounting anything on their structures. Second, you never know when you will move so ANY antenna erections must be easily removable and movable. Also, both of these ideas are removed whenever they are not in use and are never used during storms. Thus no lightning protection has been used on either option.
The first option that I will describe is for local omni directional use. I dug through my extra parts box and found an old antenna mount. I enlarged the bolt holes to make enough room to allow hose clamps to pass through. I then used the hose clams and antenna mount contraption to mount a 102” whip to the top of my kids’ swing set. OK, I’ve sacrificed antenna height but, at least it will talk well locally. Also, my SWR is a bit higher than I would prefer, at 1.9:1, but what do you want… Swing sets were not made to be used as a ground plane :-). Like I said LOW budget. Whip $16, mount $?? From parts box, swing set... victim of necessity.
The second option is even LOWER budget $5 total. This antenna is a semi-bi-directional option that I use mainly for DX purposes. I only spent money on a 20’, 12 GA spool of wire. I bet some of you are thinking dipole… You got it! What radio hack doesn’t have a few feet of coax, a wooden block, a dowel rod and a SO-239 connector in the junk box? Alright, I should have also had a few feet of 12 GA wire also. I was fresh out. Anyway, I zip stripped and hot glued the SO-239 to the bottom of the dowel, ran some RG8 mini up the side, ran the coax around the dowel six times for a choke. I then split the coax and ran it to either the leads to opposing sides of a 3 ½” x 2 ½” x 1” piece of wood. I used epoxy to hold the dowel to the block of wood, then screws on the 1” sides of the wood to hold the coax ends and the 12 GA wire in place. Don’t forget that all connections should be soldered. The length of the two wire radials will depend on the frequency of use and the feed should be in the center(for this antenna). Remember to make them longer that you need them for SWR trimming later. I used zip strips as my end insulators and nylon cord to hang it. I ran one end to the above-mentioned swing set (where would I be without it or a tree?)and the other to a vent pipe on the top of the house. Since the antenna hangs nicely in between the two structures at between 9’ and 7’ above the ground I end up with somewhere between a horizontal dipole and a sloper. SWR below 1.5:1. If I had a tree I would hang it vertically.
Maybe some day I will be able to buy a tower and a REAL antenna. For now, they work for me.
Any other ideas? Please share!
CEF 447
Red Devil - 392 |
Allagator
Advanced Member
Username: Allagator
Post Number: 547
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, February 05, 2005 - 5:19 pm: |
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sounds like you have it in the bag !!!! |
Alsworld
Advanced Member
Username: Alsworld
Post Number: 892
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2005 - 2:59 am: |
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Sound like a dipole is perfect for your application (base housing). Watch out for those housing managers though!
Alsworld |
Red_devil
Junior Member
Username: Red_devil
Post Number: 36
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2005 - 10:25 am: |
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Alsworld,
Thanx for the warning! I know how difficult housing managers can be. I've been doing this military thing for 20 yrs. The only thing that is visible when I have the dipole down is a piece of nylon string that I use to suspend the dipole and it is on the back of the house. I enjoy the removable option with these two antennas.
Thanks!
CEF447
Red Devil - 392
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Hotwire
Junior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 32
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2005 - 12:01 pm: |
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Hey Red Devil, Have you ever seen one of those Bandit antennas? They are indoor base antennas. Only 2 feet tall I think but I hear they are great in apartments. Somebody else here may know more. |
Red_devil
Junior Member
Username: Red_devil
Post Number: 37
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, February 06, 2005 - 5:16 pm: |
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Hotwire,
Yes, I have heard of them. I heard they are real rough with TVI on the neighbors. I prefer to stay outside with the antennas as long as I can. I have 100' of RG8 that I refuse to waste. I once used it on an A99 in a tree :-). I am just experimenting with several different options while I am waiting to move back to MY house in NC. I hope to motivate others to share their interesting antenna options with this posting.
I see that you also run a Gal 959 on a 102 for your mobile. I enjoy mine :-)
Thanks for the input and Idea.
CEF447
Red Devil - 392 |
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 132
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 11:06 am: |
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Try a coaxial dipole. Take a lenght of coax (at least 20ft but long enought to reach the radio), strip the outer sheaf off of it for 9 ft. Now comes the "fun" part. Slide the exposed braid back over the still covered coax. Solder a PL 259 at the untouched end and hang it up anyway you can.
By adjusting the sheild that is slide back you can vary the SWR to a slight extent. IVe used this design on frequencies from 2m down to 10m. The 2m one was mounted in a length of PVC pipe that was then clamped to my old (back in 1976) pick ute for a couple of years. |
Red_devil
Junior Member
Username: Red_devil
Post Number: 41
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 10:37 pm: |
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Tech 237,
Thanks for another great idea. Is there a better type of coax (RG8/mini8/58) to use for a coaxial dipole? I like the PVC pipe idea. I was thinking about putting my dipole inside of PVC if I were to leave it outside in the weather. I figured I could use fishing line and end caps to hold the dipole taut inside the pipe.
If I were to encase the dipole in PVC would I be able to stand it vertically or is there the old half wavelength above ground rule that would apply?
CEF447
Red Devil - 392 |
Chad
Intermediate Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 133
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2005 - 9:29 am: |
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I made the 'ol PVC Dipole before the Imax. I went 1/2 wave above ground, and hung it in a tree. It worked very well. I always wanted to make a portable version that could be reliably be broken down to 4.5' sections.
Chad |
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 133
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 10:52 am: |
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Chad,
I think I have a diagram for a version that can be broken down. Give me sometime to find it (most of my stuff is still in the boxes it came from Australia in) and I see about posting it.
I used cheap RG-8 from Radio Shack only as the sheild was easier to peel back but basically any coax will work.
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Terry
New member
Username: Terry
Post Number: 7
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 1:36 pm: |
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Red Devil,
It was great talking to you today. That homemade dipole and swingset seems to be working. Sounded great in miami!
Terry
CEF 494 |
Red_devil
Member
Username: Red_devil
Post Number: 51
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 6:31 pm: |
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Terry,
Thank You Sir!!! It was MY honor. I have already posted our conversation on the CEF Forum Connections :-)
You were the one who made the CEF connection based on my rig :-).
Good Call SIR!!! You were certainly Q5 here in El Paso :-)
Low Budget does not mean LOW QUALITY :-)
CEF447
Red Devil - 392
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Keithinatlanta
Intermediate Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 478
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 9:13 am: |
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Good Saturday morning Red Devil. If you get time today, how about running over to Tony Lama and pick up a new pair of good looking boots and send them to me. I would use one of those smiley faces like Lon does, but I am not that talented!
Have a good day sir.
Keith in Atlanta
CEF 150 |
Keithinatlanta
Intermediate Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 481
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 10:47 am: |
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Wait a minute Lon. He is gonna think I am crazy with you putting those things jumpiong up and down and rolling araound. Ha!
Keith |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4919
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 11:08 am: |
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Keith,
Sorry, but it was not me who added them.
There are 7 other Techs / Moderators and the Forummaster that read/approve/edit posts besides me.
Maybe one of them was just trying to be helpfull. 
Sometimes the Forummaster and the other Techs & Moderators can be REAL HELPFUL!
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN  |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4920
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 11:22 am: |
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Keith & Copper Forum Members,
Try the Link Below and SAVE it to your Favorites.
CLIPART TO USE ON THE COPPER FORUM
All of the other information for adding things to your posts can be found by clicking on Forummatting located to the Left of the forum here under:
Documentation
Getting Started
Formatting
Troubleshooting
Hope this helps,
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN  |
Keithinatlanta
Intermediate Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 482
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 1:37 pm: |
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You mean I might just learn something NEW yet?
Keith |
Red_devil
Member
Username: Red_devil
Post Number: 52
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 2:07 pm: |
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KeithinAtlanta!!!!!!!
I would love to buy you some boots. However, if I do it for you I also have to do it for everyone :--) {I’ll stick to the simple (BORING) smileys}. If I every open up a boot sale business, YOU”LL be the first to know. Use www.tonylama.com/ :--) until then.
Oh, another highly recommended boot here in El Paso is www.cowtownboots.com/ for more selection from different manufacturers. There is one other company here that makes a pair for each President of the US but, the name escapes me. I’ll post it if comes to me.
Most people are looking for sneakers for their radios :--) Not BOOTS :--)
CEF447
Red Devil - 392
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