Re: Topband: cheap radial wire?

[Bob Cutter via Topband]

I had good luck with aluminum electric fence wire but the ph of your soil will 
determine the life of your field. 
Bob KI0G


Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone


On Monday, November 8, 2021, 7:29 PM, ke9et...@charter.net wrote:

Try local electric motor repair shops. They will sometimes sell you
roll ends or even by the pound. gl Jim

    -From: "Greg Davis" 
To: topband@contesting.com
Cc: 
Sent: Monday November 8 2021 4:20:53PM
Subject: Topband: cheap radial wire?

 Hello Topbanders,

 I recently reached out directly to a few people who had posted
 recently(ish) to this email reflector who had described purchasing
large
 amounts of wire for radials at a (relative) bargain price.

 However, after a couple of weeks of waiting, none of those emails
have been
 responded to. I've got a new-and-improved plan for my 160m vertical
in my
 back yard, but, at this moment in time, the biggest thing holding me
back
 is the wire for a sufficient radial field. Do any of you have spools
of
 wire you're willing to sell to me if the price is right? Or
suggestions for
 me where I can purchase it for a reasonable price?

 Thank you.

 73 de Greg N3ZL
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Re: Topband: Made it! 80 Years a Ham

[Bob Cutter via Topband]

 blockquote, div.yahoo_quoted { margin-left: 0 !important; border-left:1px 
#715FFA solid !important; padding-left:1ex !important; background-color:white 
!important; } Great story, thank you!
73, Bob KI0G 


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On Thursday, January 19, 2017, 9:48 AM, PAUL M ELLIOTT  
wrote:

Made it! 19 January 2017, is the 80th anniversary of my first ham license,
Class C operating privileges with W5GGV as my call. Was 14 years old at the
time. A little over a year later I upgraded to Class A.  Many years later
the Extra Class (with no added privileges) came along. Upgraded. Some years
later the FCC announced that hams with an Extra Class license who had been
licensed 25 years could apply for a two -letter call, no place on the
application to request of a specific call.  Was assigned W5DM.

First rig made from junked Atwater Kent radio parts. First antenna was a
wire going out a hole in the window screen to a tree.  First DX was VK2SS on
40 m CW, September 1937. (An aside. There were no phone privileges on 40 m
for USA hams). The VK2SS QSL card is hung on my wall. My card to him was
written on a postcard (Great Depression=no money to buy QSL cards).

Been fairly active over the years, except, of course, for WW II.  If
interested in WW II, you can do a web search on DD 792 for a small part of
my history.

The first 20 or 30 years I built my transmitters (all low powered) and
receivers. Operated CW only until SSB came along. Then I built a low powered
phasing rig. A BC-348H receiver was made dual conversion using 85 kcs  (kcs
then= kHz now) IF transformers from a BC 453 receiver.  Had a blast working
the world with a homebuilt "cubical quad" on 20 meters.  Since then mostly
CW.

I may have made one small contribution to ham radio.  In the April 1958
issue of QST, in Technical Correspondence there was a letter from me that, I
think, was the first mention in a ham publication that the formula for
determining the length of a "cubical quad" antenna was not correct.  Since
my measurements were made using a BC 348, a grid dip oscillator, and a 100
kcs crystal oscillator. I don't know whether I was just lucky to get as
close as I did or did a fairly good job with what I had.

In the early 1990s started out to get 160 m WAS from a 120 x 120 foot
electrically noisy city lot (SE NM) with a long ( ~3/8 wavelength)  but low
semi-inverted L antenna.  Ground radials of varying length in one 90 degree
segment. Made 160 m WAS.  Then started chasing DX.  Now have 189 countries
confirmed on 160 m, 324 on all bands.  

Age, not surprisingly, has taken its toll.  CW now down to 20-25 wpm-at one
time it was 35-40 wpm.  Finger dexterity way down-has taken me over 3 hours
to type this email. Physical realities remain physical realities--I am now a
disabled, crippled old man. But---

No complaints-many people are worse off than I am.  

Thanks to all who have had the knowledge and the kindness to help me over
the years.

73 Paul W5DM                        

 

 

 

 

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Re: Topband: 160 vertical/L

[Bob Cutter via Topband]

 blockquote, div.yahoo_quoted { margin-left: 0 !important; border-left:1px 
#715FFA solid !important; padding-left:1ex !important; background-color:white 
!important; } You will not be sorry with the L. 
I worked most of my 160 QRP DXCC(over 30+ years) using one. 
72, Bob KI0G 


Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone


On Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 9:27 AM, W0MU Mike Fatchett  
wrote:

Seems like the consensus is the L.  I think I will try that over the 
radial field of the existing Cushcraft.  Having it separate from the 80 
also allows me to run two radios at the same time if need.  More 
flexibility.


Thanks all for your suggestions.  See you in the Test starting Friday!


W0MU


On 11/30/2016 6:16 AM, donov...@starpower.net wrote:
> Hi Mike,
>
> An inverted-L with 50-60 feet vertical is a far superior choice than
> a bottom loaded vertical. Its much more efficient, its bandwidth
> is much broader and you don't have to deal with the very high
> voltages at the base of the loaded vertical, especially if you're
> running high power.
>
> 73
> Frank
> W3LPL
>
>
> 
> *From: *"Don Kirk" 
> *To: *"W0MU Mike Fatchett" 
> *Cc: *"topband" 
> *Sent: *Wednesday, November 30, 2016 12:32:26 PM
> *Subject: *Re: Topband: 160 vertical/L
>
> HI Mike,
>
> I use a 68 foot based loaded vertical on 160 meters with 55 short buried
> ground radials (2500 feet of ground radials).  I only run 100 watts and
> located near Indianapolis.  I would prefer an Inverted-L over the base
> loaded vertical on 160 meters (the L would be much more efficient), but
> having said that I did acquire my 160 meter DXCC last year (all CW) and
> most of the contacts were during years when 160 meters was in very poor
> condition.
> Note: I do use small pennant antennas for RX on 160 meters.
>
> For starters it sure would be easy to temporarily install a base loading
> coil to test out your full size 80 meter vertical on 160 meters versus 
> your
> 33 foot vertical.  You can use part of the loading coil you install on the
> full size 80 meter vertical with a fixed high voltage silver mica cap to
> form a simple L network (that's what I do and it works great).  This would
> allow you to easily compare your two TX antennas.
> Note: neither end of my base loading coil is connected to ground (my base
> loading coil is between the bottom of my 68 foot vertical and the center
> conductor of my feedline.  I use an MFJ 404-0669 air wound coil as my
> loading coil / L network.
>
> But if you can install an Inverted-L easily, than I would skip what I have
> said above and just install the Inverted-L.
>
> Don (wd8dsb)
>
> On Wed, Nov 30, 2016 at 1:33 AM, W0MU Mike Fatchett  wrote:
>
> > I have a full sized 80m vertical and a Top loaded Cushcraft 33ft 
> vertical
> > for 160.  The Cushcraft gets out but not great.
> >
> > I was thinking about using an inverted L over the radial field that 
> I use
> > for the 160.  It is 30ish radials of various lengths or I have seen 
> where
> > people have loaded the 80m vertical on 160.  I think I recall people are
> > not overly excited about bottom loading the 80.  The 80 is unguyed 
> so the
> > top cannot support anything.
> >
> > I can get the vertical part of the L up 50-60 feet.
> >
> > Any feelings one way or another?  I can make a switching system for 
> the 80
> > vert if people think this is a reasonable transmitting solution.  I 
> have a
> > rcv array, so I am hoping to improve my xmit signal.
> >
> > W0MU
> >
> > _
> > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
> >
> _
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>

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Re: Topband: Best DX QRP contact in the SP - N5IA

[Bob Cutter via Topband]

I managed 10 Q's with a MBDC from KD1JV. 100' of wire inside the condo with the 
end hanging from the 3rd floor window. 

A great time. 

72, Bob KI0g

> On Dec 27, 2015, at 6:09 AM, Jim F. via Topband  
> wrote:
> 
> Couldn't believe hearing N5IA before dawn this morning and 
> 
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Topband: 160 QSO K1N

[Bob Cutter via Topband]

On line log shows one but I was not on 160 for this event. I have no idea of 
date or time but if you are missing one and have a similar call, I might be the 
one. 

73, Bob KIØG
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Topband: The Beverage Antenna Handbook

[Bob Cutter]

I have an excellent copy of this 1977 classic by Victor A. Misek, W1WCR. 

$25.00 shipped in the US. Contact me off list. 

73, Bob KIØG
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Topband: Beverage Handbook sold

[Bob Cutter]

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