That was on 2m. I was looking at the mount the other day. If I were to clean up the connection between the gate and the antenna mount I'd probably get a better ground and lower the SWR. The antenna has been there for sometime and has started to develop rust at the mount. I'll see If i can find some time this weekend and clean things up.

 

I saw lots of neat stuff at Dayton today and spent some money.

But I think I now know how to make some new antennas myself.

The question is should I build a vertical or a loop. Questions questions questions.

 

You should build both so you can tell us which works better Glad I don't live closer the wallet would have come back flat but it sure would have been nice to see all the stuff.

 

Yep flat

 

I had both right next to each other. They were 17m delta loops with the apex up and supported at the top by a mast. They were pulled away from each other at the bottom so they were slightly at an angle. One was vertically polarized and the other horizontally. They worked well and I could switch between them depending on the propagation.
What "toys" did you buy at Dayton...???

 

I got a Turbo Tuner for the 7000 and Scorpion, just to be safer while driving. It sure does work good after I hooked it up today.

I got a 200 hz 5 pole filter for the K3.

I complained to the guy from GAP regarding the noise cancelling speaker and he remembered me from last year and agreed that there was a problem. So he gave me a new one to replace the one in the Jeep. But I do have to mail the old one back.

A machined bit of aluminum to make a CAP hat for the Scorpion to improve my antenna efficiency.

Plus I won a goodie bag full of screwdrivers and other little bits and pieces.

The big thing for me was I saw what folks are selling for a vertical antenna so I am thinking about building one and adding a arm on it to hang the dipole. Then I would have two to select from.

I am still thinking about the 160m loop.

 

Well it rained so much this weekend that I got JT65 operational plus software called WSPR running in the shack. Low power QRP stuff which is kinda cool.

Just never got the 160m loop up. But I have some cool ideas using electric fence rope which is rope embedded with wire. 600 feet is between 20 and 35 dollars depending on what you get.

 

Anybody do anything for the UHF/VHF contest? Plans for field day? Haven't seen a post in this thread for a few weeks.

I was able to make a couple 6m contacts mobile over the weekend using the ATAS 120 antenna. Also connected the vertical dual band to the 857 to see if i could pickup a couple 2m SSB contacts but the big guns weren't on to help overcome the 20db loss of vert to horizontal.

73
dave

 

I have not been on the air much lately due to traveling for work again. All I know about field day is that everything is crowded on the bands.

I never try 6m but maybe I should one of these days.

73
Don

 

6m is a cool band when it opens. In the last week I've made contacts as far north as Canada and east to Nebraska with a dipole and 100w or mobile with the vertical. Very little QRN so armchair QSOs at S2 or less are possible. Of course I'm probably being helped on the other end but it's still fun. Most people are grid chasing which is kinda different.