| Author |
Message |
    
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 7507
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 04, 2005 - 11:47 pm: | 
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Well Everyone I finally got the  Maco M-103 HV MAXIBEAM up on the tower yesterday (Monday) 
The 1st Sargant and I would like to PERSONALLY THANK! Dennis / TECH291 CEF #291 & Yonv CEF #456 for Driving over 350 Miles from OH. on his vacation to help me get them Up on the Tower.
And then this morning just a little over 24 hours later they headed back on another 350 mile trip back to OH. 
Dennis / Tech291 was a MAJOR help to me as I am unable to climb or do much except ground work.
We are very Blessed and Thankful to have such GREAT Friends as Dennis and Yonv who gave up part of his vacation to drive over and help me finally get those beams in the air.
After Dennis spending 8+ hrs driving over here we spent another 8+ hours getting everything finished and the Antenna on the tower.
Below is how we set the Antenna Up.
11 METER / CB HORIZONTAL ELEMENT
TUNED TO: (27.200 ~ 27.399)
REFLECTOR = 18' 3"
DRIVEN ELEMENT = 17' 4"
DIRECTOR ELEMENT = 16' 6"
(With an Added Little Feature I designed for the elements = Less than a 1-1/2" sag from tip to tip of the HORIZONTAL ELEMENTS.)
11 METER CB VERTICLE ELEMENT
TUNED TO:(27.200 ~ 27.399)
REFLECTOR = 18' 3"
DRIVEN ELEMENT = 17' 4"
DIRECTOR ELEMENT = 16' 6"
After Dennis spent right at an hour adjusting things we had a SWR Reading of LESS than 1.0 on Channel #1 and a 1.2 on Channel #40.
On the HORIZONTAL ELEMENT we had a 1.0 on Channel 1 to a 1.1 on Channel 40 on the VERTICLE ELEMENT we decided my tuner could handle the 10 Meter Bands with no problems, so we did not set the VERTICLE for the 10 Meter Band.
This was all done with the Antenna on a pushup pole mounted to the end of my garage so he could stand on the Flat Roof to Mount the Elements and make SWR adjustments.
After this was done he climbed to the top of the tower and took / lowered the SE Quads down and then pulled the MACO's up and got them mounted at 64' after raising the mast back up to fit back on the rotor.
He then re-adjusted the Elements on both VERT & HORZ so they lined up perfect.
With the Antenna Mounted on the Tower the SWR NOW is a FLAT 1:0 on Channel 1
and a 1.2 on Channel 40 on the VERTICLE ELEMENTS
and
a 1.0 on Channel 1 and a 1.1 on Channel 40 on the HORZIZONTAL ELEMENTS.
This is with a 6 watt dead key swinging 22 watts on the President Lincoln.
I guess it is working GREAT as I was able to hit patzerozero BAREFOOT in NY at 4:40PM CDT on 13 / 27.115 LSB today and talked with 291 and Yonv headed back Mobile on 13 / 27.115 AM for about 25+ miles this morning at 8:30AM CDT.
One SLIGHT Mistake the 1st Sargant and I made was we only had 2 - 100' pieces S.I.W. RG213 Coax made up and I mis-figured as we needed at least 105' so I have to re-locate my MFJ-1700B Antenna Switch and PolyPhasers. 
But this will put the PolyPhasers less than 1-1/2' from the Ground Rod now.
Now I can't wait until this coming Sundays CEF Nets to really try them out. 
Thank You, Tech291 & Yonv!
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN 
&
Shirley
1st Sargant
CEF164
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Tech833
Intermediate Member
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 103
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2005 - 10:37 am: |
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PICTURES!! |
Wildrat
Intermediate Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 120
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 07, 2005 - 6:32 pm: |
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sounds good, now he needs to make the trip to Clearwater and set me up one, then I can talk to patzereozero. Just kidding. It will be nice to see a pic of this operation.
Wildrat/Mark |
Keithinatlanta
Advanced Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 701
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 07, 2005 - 10:44 pm: |
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Wildrat, then he needs to stop in Atlanta and get me set up as well. That will give him a second install done, which means even more experience under the belt by the time he gets to you. 
Lon, educate me please. Your post says CB tuned from 27.200 to 27.399. Why would it not start at 26.965? Is that because you can adjust it to "where" you want it?
I will be looking forward to Sunday net in hopes that I will be able to hear you on this new antenna.
Thank you for sharing this info with us. I am looking forward to seeing the results!!
Keith in Atlanta |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 7540
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 5:30 am: |
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Tech833,
Paul, Dennis / Tech291 has the Pictures Posted in the Members Pictures Area under (Tech291)
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 7541
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 5:48 am: |
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Keithinatlanta,
I assembled the Antenna per the MACO Instructions on the Length of the Elements and setting it for the Band Coverage I use most.
If you follow the MACO Instructions you can set it for what ever coverage you want.
Hope this helps,
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN
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Tech291
Moderator
Username: Tech291
Post Number: 253
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 9:54 am: |
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Sinker,
The first pic you referred to is a Maco V-58 mounted at 48'agl to the base.Due to a low res camera you cant see the vertical radiator clearly.When I get the second tower complete it will have a yagi mounted horizontal and the V58 will mount on the same mast above it.More pics will follow when it is done.
tech291
cef#291
kc8zpj
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Sinker
Intermediate Member
Username: Sinker
Post Number: 142
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 11:19 am: |
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That sounds similar to what I am hoping to do. A beam and then the v-5000 on top - WHEN - I get a tower - looking real hard - my neighbors are a pain and even my wife wants the antenna off the roof. Says she wouldn't mind a tower if I could get a winch one that I could put up and down so it would not be so noticeable.
Tim
CEF-634 |
Hatchet
Junior Member
Username: Hatchet
Post Number: 27
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 5:08 pm: |
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I would be careful with the Maco on top of a beam. I would go with an Imax-2000 on top of the beam instead. The ground radials on the Maco will cause interferance with the beam and vice versa |
Tech291
Moderator
Username: Tech291
Post Number: 254
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 5:49 pm: |
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Hatchet,
a few trains of thought here were to first use the yagi without the maco above it to set a baseline for its performance.2nd,the maco will be about 10 to 11' above the yagi.3rd,the ground-plane radials can be removed from the maco and spaced whereas the yagi becomes the groundplane.4th,even if proven that the Imax outdid the maco MY choice will still be for the metal antenna every time.
tech291
cef#291
kc8zpj
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Airplane1
Advanced Member
Username: Airplane1
Post Number: 576
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 5:16 pm: |
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what is a yagi, would the Maco 103 be a yagi?
TECH NOTE
yes Roger,a yagi would be a single polarity multi element beam antenna,including the m-103 thru m-108 in the maco line
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Dx431
Senior Member
Username: Dx431
Post Number: 1108
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 5:28 pm: |
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Hatchet, a ground plane ant can be installed
above a beam, but, it must be installed 6-8' above the beam. Tech833 can correct me on the height,but then youre talkin alot of mast pipe which will put alot of stress on the rotor. An I max is a much better choice. Then the Imax can be mounted directly above the beam.
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Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 7547
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, October 08, 2005 - 7:28 pm: |
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Gentlemen,
Just a Quick Side Note or HELPFUL TIP,
The mast pipe & antenna should NEVER Rest / Sit on the Rotor.
I have 60+ feet of mast pipe inside of the tower with 10' sticking up above the top section of Tower.
I have a Thrust Bearing about 20' down from the top tightened to the mast pipe to support the entire weight of 60+ feet of mast pipe and the antenna.
All Sections of the mast pipe are bolted together.
The Rotor sits at roof level with the mast pipe about 1/4" from the base of the rotor NOT resting on it so there is NO WEIGHT on it and I can remove the Rotor without ever lowering the mast pipe just by removing 4 bolts from the coller that bolts to the rotor.
All the rotor does is turn the antenna.
Antenna Rotors are designed to TURN the antenna NOT SUPPORT IT.
When Dennis / Tech291 was at the top I slid the rotor out of the way sittin on the edge of the roof and he lossened the thrust bearing and slid the mast pipe down so the antenna was resting about 1' above the top of the tower to remove to SE Quads and mount the MACOs
And it sure makes it nice & easy to have the rotor at Roof Level rather than climbing up the tower if anything goes wrong with it.
Last winter I had the wiring control panel on the rotor short out during the Sunday CEF Nets and it took me less than 10 minutes to swap rotors and back on the air.
After Hal / Moderator136 seen my setup he LOVED it and has his rotor at about 6' off the ground now and NEVER has to climb his tower anymore either.
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN
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Airplane1
Advanced Member
Username: Airplane1
Post Number: 577
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Monday, October 10, 2005 - 8:21 am: |
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Sounds awsome, can you tell us what your mast material is? like wall thickness and if its aluminum or steel.
thanks |
