| Author |
Message |
    
Barracuda
| | Posted on Sunday, December 07, 2003 - 11:11 pm: | 
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I was wondering if anybody here uses modes other than FM on VHF (mainly 2m)? I've heard reference to SSB phone, ATV, various digital modes, but have no idea how popular these modes are. Looking at the commercially available radios from the major brands, you could get the impression that FM phone is the only mode needed. Yet there are a few multi-mode radios in this space. So, do you use another mode on VHF and if so which and for what? |
Bruce
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 12:13 am: |
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SSB 144.200 USB
During vhf contests very popular |
Mr_Rf
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 6:49 am: |
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Barracuda, you are in the heart of VHF/UHF SSB land!!! Yes, there isn't a lot of regular activity but at contest times the bands will experience pileups, QRM, etc just like HF. And the weekends usually hold in-store several nets, and usually several groups of locals for general chit-chat. 6 meters around here is fairly active (Virginia), and 2 meters about the same, however up your way are MANY VHF ops! One note, most SSB activity runs horizontally polorized antennas.
Check out these websites for east coast VHF activity:
http://www.svhfs.org/
http://www.downeastmicrowave.com/
"ATV" (fast scan) is only legal on 70cm (UHF) and above. There is some activity but not a lot...definitely location specific with regard to where there are several hams interested in it, usually more activity found around the bigger cities.
More onfo: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=amateur+radio+television+atv
"SSTV" (slow scan TV) is legal on any voice band and has about the same activity level/interest as ATV..not a lot! However HF-SSTV is more active than some modes. More info: http://www.sstvham.com/
"Packet" (digital BBS) is VERY active all over the U.S.
Other digital modes like PSK31 and WSJT (PSK441) are also popular on 6 and 2 meters, just not as popular as packet. More info: http://k7xc.tripod.com/wsjt/
FYI... fairly nice used single-band rigs for the SSB operations on 6, 2 and 432 can by found for $400 to $500. And, an Icom 706MK2G or Yeasu FT100D is ususally about $650-used and will get you on all of the bands.
Have fun on VHF/UHF SSB...I do!!!
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Barracuda
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 10:43 am: |
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Thanks guys,
I may have to look into a SSB transciever. I am in the midst of building a new house (and therefore a new shack) so I'm trying to get new ideas now so I can prepare the shack and wiring to suit.
On the flat side for SSB, what type of antenna is used most often or to good effect. I presume most use yagis, though I have seen other VHF/UHF horizontally polarized antenna designs.
Other than for satellite, does anybody use circular polarization antennas on VHF/UHF?
Thanks again,
Barracuda |
Bruce
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 1:27 pm: |
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You want a radio like a ft-100d or a ft-857 or a ic-706 anything less will be a disapointment. Now if you want only HF a FT-840 or a IC-718 will do at a lot less money. But spending money for something good either way is a smart move it you dont ....
Youll buy another within a year |
Mr_Rf
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 2:18 pm: |
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Sats are about the only application for a circular polorized antenna. Some poeple buy a circular antenna and use two coax runs, one for each polarity to mininize space needed for antennas. I prefer building my antennas but Cushcraft won'r let you down if you decide to buy yours.
On 6 meters most any beam antenna sold will work for general operation. While not the cheapest thing out there, Cushcraft sells a really good 5 element beam for 6 meters with a shorter (14ft?) boom and good pattern/gain.
On 2 meters the Cushcraft 13B2 is a good middle-of-the-road choice, and the 719B is a good choice for 432MHz.
I don't like the single plane KLM antennas for various reasons, but I do like KLM circular antennas.
Another idea is to build your own antennas for 2 meters and 432MHz...it's cheaper! It's really not hard, just takes time and patience acquiring the pieces and putting it all together. If you go this route email me and I can send you plans and a shopping list for most any VHF antenna you desire. And yea, I know what I'm talking about...my antenna farm is all homebrew except for one antenna... homebrew 7 elements on a 40ft. boom for 6 meters, Cushcraft 4218XL on 2 meters, H-frame with four homebrew 19 element yagis on 432MHz, two stacked 29 element yagis on 902MHz and 1296MHz. |
Barracuda
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 5:32 pm: |
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Guys,
Thanks again for the answers. I have no problem with building antennas. I've already built some simple scanner antennas and have been a bunch of plans and other various ideas. My biggest problem is space. I live in a community of tighly spaced homes and little surrounding property. So my "antenna farm" is likely going to be very small. I do intend to use HF (when licensed, I'm a tech now). But that will wait a bit longer, not for desire , but for time.
Bruce,
I have been looking at the 706mkiig and the ft-857. I know that many locals here have the 706 and like it. I've not heard much local dicsussion on the 857, though I believe it to be a much newer radio. I am certianly looking to get the most out of the fewest radios I can.
As always, thanks gents.
73
Barracuda |
Mr_Rf
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2003 - 9:56 pm: |
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Consider Bie-Tie and/or corner reflector antennas if you are really tight for space. Typical gain is 10 to 15 dB depending on the angle of the reflector panels , stacking two gets ya 3 dB more gain, dual polarity is a snap, very wideband, plus they take up a lot less real estate than yagis.
Have fun with the project! |
Crafter
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2003 - 1:10 am: |
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13b2 kicks tail. I do paket and allow people to use my Gateway. which allows anyone to connect vhf and through my dual port modem roll over to my H.F. rig and make dx contacts. used 145.01 and 145.03 to 10m and 40m to which ever freq is strongest.
I really want to do ssb vhf though. Havnt seen many 2m transverters for my yeasu though so will probally replace it next year. |
Barracuda
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 11:35 am: |
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Mr_Rf,
It seems to me that a corner reflector would be useful if either it could be rotated or if several could be mounted either switched or simultaneously. If simultaneous then I assume that they would be "co-phased" much the same way as dual "trucker" antennas. So I could get 180 deg. coverage using 2 90 deg. corners co-phased? But I assume that the pattern for the 90deg corner is not 90 deg wide. There is a lobe that would point out near 45 deg and have a 3db width of less than 90deg so the edges of the pattern near 0 and 90 deg would demonstrate less gain or sensitivity?
BTW, I assume you mean Bow-Tie antennas . I've not seen many designs for transmitting Bow Ties. Do you have one for 2m you could point me to?
Thanks,
Barracuda |
Barracuda
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 12:27 pm: |
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Mr_Rf,
Actually in my last post I think I was assuming that the corner was vertically oriented (dipole at focal point vertical). If the corner is turned horizontal how wide of a horizantal beam width could be expected?
Thanks,
Barracuda |
Mr_Rf
| | Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 9:02 am: |
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Gain and beamwidth is relative to the angle of the reflector panels on corner reflectors. Also, flat panel antennas allow you to use the same reflector surface for dual polarity feedpoints and "stack" or phase multiple arrays together on an single panel for more gain.
Try these sources:
- ARRL Antenna Handbook
- http://www.qsl.net/ve3rgw/corner.html
- http://www.northcountryradio.com/Articles/crfl.htm
- http://www.iee.org/publish/support/auth/elsamp.pdf
And, if that isn't enough reading try this google search: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=corner+reflector+antenna
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Barracuda
| | Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 12:48 pm: |
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Mr_Rf,
You've just defined my weekend reading time.
Thanks,
Barracuda |
Honkytonkman593
| | Posted on Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 11:09 pm: |
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not to be smart guys but beams are great and all but i use and icom 706mkiig and a icom 756 using ku4ab homemade loop antennas for 2/440/ 6 meter and they are great for restricted areas. not trying to peddle his stuff but look on ebay for ku4ab as a user or look up loop antennas. they are horizontal polorized and take up very little room. heck if you want to spend twice as much buy m2 loops. i have used these everyday for a year and i have worked 30 states / burmuda/ west indies/ and venesuella! all at 50 watts 2 meter/ 6 meter. check them out. good luck 73's .... |
Ozzie
Intermediate Member
Username: Ozzie
Post Number: 166
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 4:28 pm: |
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Hang on a corner reflector on 2m?? that is still 80" per side with a corner angle of around 90 degrees for maximum gain.Feed impedance is then around 150 ohms. Still not exactly small. Change to corner into a trough reflector, where the dipole is spaced 1.5 waves or around 120" from where the corner should be if the sides weren't missing the wavelength nearest the corner. Same gain, slightly less area used. This version a 90 degree angles gives 13dbd gain.
Small with gain - try any 3 to5 element yagi, quad or quagi antenna
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Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1116
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 6:32 pm: |
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4 stacked squailos does well too |
Nobody077
New member
Username: Nobody077
Post Number: 7
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 9:08 pm: |
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For space go with stacked sets of loops, at 2m about 42in between each loop will work good and help save space with 50in for best results and 36in the min spaceing, plus you can stack more than 1 band on the same pole. With a 30ft mast you can stack 4 2m loops,4 70cm loops and 2 6m loops all above 10ft for the first 6m loop, this should give you real good omni results for the most used VHF/UHF bands in a small space.
Rember to use good coax 9913(very water proofed ends), LMR400, or 1/2 andrews flex, or better for 2m and above if you want best results for weak singal work.
As for a good radio I personal love my FT-817 QRP rig, I have worked over 500mi on 2M SSB with a 2M9SSB beam (9ele 12bd gain 35ft above ground) on the 817's 5w. If I had the money I would go with the FT-857D over the 706MKII, the Yaesu has much better noise blanker and frontend and the newer D model has the built in DSP. The 706MKII is a easier to learn radio, and the display is a little bigger if your eyes are bad.
Both are great radios and are the best you can get for a 6m/2m/70cm all mode rig for the price, most 2m/70cm only allmodes start in the $1000 range, and with the $700-800 range for the FT-857 or IC-706MKII you get HF |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1194
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 11:11 pm: |
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Nobody
I LOVE stacked squaios! and there is a guy making them ...... you right on they work like a champ! |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1198
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 7:31 am: |
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hey nobody worked my 1st 432 ssb contact last week i was and still am on 144 ssb but this was 1st on 432 .... and it was on a home brew halo! |
Nobody077
New member
Username: Nobody077
Post Number: 9
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 7:51 pm: |
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Was it for the 432 sprints last wednsday? I was given a 7ele 70cm quad and was told it was tuned for the 432 ssb area so I put in the air without checking it(MFJ only did HF,6,2m) below my M2 beam and tried to work the 432 sprint only to find the antenna is cut for the Satellite portion on the band, and it was so narrow banded it is un workable in the SSB phone area, so the only 432 contacts I have made are very local on the 817's rubber ducky. But for space savings or mobie use you cant beat squaios/loops |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1201
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 4:24 am: |
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Yes it was last wends and my bent copper rod did s fair job. 7 miles with about 10 watts! |
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