Re: [Elecraft] Radials for vertical
Doug, I am using a Butternut HF2V vertical on 80 and 40 meters. The HF2V is a base loaded ground mounted antenna. The HF2V is sitting atop 24 radials separated 15 degrees apart from each other. Half of the radials are 66 feet long; the remaining 12 radials are each 32 feet long. I used a sidewalk grass edger and removed the sidewalk guide to cut slots 2 inches deep into the ground. I had a "fishtail" dandelion cutter that I used to push 1100 feet of #10 copper wire down into the slots. I used a chalk line to guide the edger. It worked like a dream come true. The HF2V is sited on 2 acres in the open with no bends in the radials. The radials are connected to two 8 foot long copper coated ground rods bonded together. They are bonded to the base of the HF2V just above the fiberglass rod insulator. The rods and antenna are bonded together with a short piece of #6 stranded copper wire. The hardest job for me, now nearing 80 years old, was driving in the ground rods. I used a fence post driver until the bottom of its tube touched the ground, and then finished with an 8 pound sledgehammer. I guess pneumatic and even electrical impact drivers are now available for that job. But, I was lucky in that no rocks were in the way of the ground rods driven into fertile central Ohio farmland. The results were amazing. SWR of 1.0:1 at 3585 KHz; SWR 1.2:1 at 7045KHz. Bandwidth on 80 M between 2.0:1 points is 73 KHz; on 40 meters - a bandwidth of 96 KHz. I also have a Cushcraft R8 vertical with no radials except those a part of the antenna. The base of the R8 is 12 feet above ground with a SWR of 1.8:1 at 7045 KHz. It has a bandwidth of 14 KHz between 2.0:1 SWR points. The HF2V puts the R8 to shame. The HF2V has proved to be my long haul antenna to work into JA, UA0, YB, 3W2, E21, FR, FO, etc. from central Ohio. I didn't skimp on wire. I don't know how symmetry of the radials affects performance. My radials are perfectly symmetrical laid out using a rafter framing square and chalk line. I used the center of the tops of ground rods that extend two inches above ground as the focus. Yes, the wire was somewhat pricey, but it paid off for me. The aluminum wire that you have should work just fine placed in the ground in your grassy meadow. I can't comment on 43 foot verticals as I have no experience with them. I found that the more wire in the ground, the better the antenna operation. You will be pleasantly pleased. Good luck with it. 73 John W8UL On 6/29/2014 3:07 PM, Doug Person via Elecraft wrote: Most people would think we're well into Summer. Not here in the High Rockies. Summer here has just begun. Time to mend some fences. Now the point: I just pulled about a mile of #11 soft drawn aluminum wire - mostly in 50' to 100' lengths. Normally its electrified and the cattle won't touch it. But last year the charger died and the cattle just shredded the wire to get into my grassy meadow. So now I have all this aluminum wire that I would hate to throw away. So I'm thinking of making a really good ground plane and putting up a vertical of some kind. I have enough scrap tubing to make about 38' or so. I was thinking of putting a remote tuner at the base of the vertical as the length of coax to reach it will probably be at least 150'. So I'd be interested in comments on how to configure the radials in terms of length and number. I know there's some guys on this reflector that real know a lot about this sort of thing. Thanks & 73, Doug -- K0DXV __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to w...@insight.rr.com - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4592 / Virus Database: 3986/7764 - Release Date: 06/29/14 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Weller WTCPT soldering sta....?
Bill, Absolutely bulletproof... I have owned one for over fifteen years and have built three K2's with it. Superb for its price point - ~$140-$150. It is ESD safe, has over 35 different tips in the 600, 700, and 800 degree heat-range, a quick disconnect plug for the iron on the power unit, etc... for quick change of irons. It seems Weller has supported them forever. Replacement parts, which I have never needed, except for tips, are readily available from electronic equipment suppliers. 73 John W8UL On 6/5/2014 1:16 PM, Nr4c wrote: Is this a good gen purpose soldering station? Good or bad? Sent from my iPhone ...nr4c. bill __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to w...@insight.rr.com - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4592 / Virus Database: 3955/7625 - Release Date: 06/05/14 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 MARS mod, showing a virus
Keith, A similar thing happened to me with Roy Lewallen's EZNEC V.5.0 antenna modeling software. AVG reports it as containing a virus! As such, it is does not, but again a false positive on the part of AVG. Roy related via a telephone conversation that he had to change the way he compiled the software to reduce the odds of a false positive being reported by various AV software. Whose antivirus software does one use these days? I don't know. AVG gets it wrong, and so does McAfee, Avast and Norton . Maybe one of them will get it right someday. John W8UL On 6/3/2014 12:10 PM, kb9...@wi.rr.com wrote: I got a response finally yesterday, and they resent the mod, but it still comes back saying it has the same virus. Elecraft said it was because it's a EXE file, and renamed it a XEX file, but that didn't seem to matter to the AVG Antivirus. This is coming directly from Elecraft, and also believe it is a false positive, but was curious if anyone else has expeirienced this as well. Keith KB9WMJ - Original Message - From: "Mike Reublin" To: Cc: "Elecraft List" <> Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2014 5:14 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 MARS mod, showing a virus Most likely a false positive. Do you know which of the Elecraft guys wrote it? Did they email it to you or did you download it? Contact Elecraft again. It's not like them to be non responsive. Then notify AVG so they can correct their software. 73, Mike NF4L On Jun 2, 2014, at 5:21 PM, wrote: Has anyone else encountered this? My AVG virus S/W is saying that my K3 MARS mod (which I have not used yet) contains the Win32/DH virus. I e-mailed Elecraft a week ago, but got no response. Keith KB9WMJ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to n...@nf4l.com __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to w...@insight.rr.com - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4592 / Virus Database: 3955/7614 - Release Date: 06/03/14 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] K3 Mics - ( Heil GM5)
I am using either a Heil GM4 or GM5 mic plugged into the K3 rear jack through a Microham Microkeyer with DB37-EL-K3R cable. The Microkeyer cable mates with the Heil GM4 and GM5 Kenwood cable with no modifications. Both mics are high impedance. However, with just the Heil Kenwood cable, the GM5 works fine in the front panel connector. My setup: Rear: CONFIG rP.H - with MIC Gain 29 VOX Gain 21 AntiVox 14 or Front panel: CONFIG - FP.H with exact same settings as above. John W8UL __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
