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Posts published in “Antennas”

New Aerials in the Ether

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 12/17/2017

The weather was picture perfect. The station engineering team of Dave, KR4U and John, KI4UIP had the necessary tools and hardware ready. Then the SPARC Elves showed up at W4GAC/W4TA, and suddenly our station had the ability to work the “top band.”

Fan dipole adjustments. (N2ESPhoto)

Up went a 160M/80M fan dipole, extending virtually the entire western property line of our station. But not before a semi-permanent tower was erected to support the north end of the antenna. A robust pine tree anchors the southern end.

 

 

 

 

NZ1Q checks for resonance. (N2RESPhoto)
KK4WTE watches KI4UIP exchange rotors. (N2ESPhoto)

The center of the antenna was hoisted up the tilt-telescopic tower, but not before the rotor was swapped out for a rebuilt unit.

 


[L to R] W4CU, N4GD & KC1YL assemble 40M vertical dipole. (N2ESPhoto)
While all that work was going on, another group of Elves were busy assembling and testing a 40M vertical dipole donated by Scott, N4RI. This antenna will shortly be mounted atop the tower section on the shipping containers. Provisions were also made to raise a 30M dipole, which was not done as most of the elder Elves ran out of gas. Expect these two antennas to be ready to go by early January.

The following SPARC elves graciously gave their time and talents to make this effort a success: Norman, KA1IJA; Lisa, KC1YL; Bob, KC4SXO; John, KI4UIP; Rick, KK4WTE; Ron, KP2N; Dave, KR4U; Pat, KX4HL; Ed, NZ1Q; Bob, N2ESP; Dee. N4GD; Scott, N4RI; Tom, NY4I; Tom, W4CU; Bob, WA4OAB and Ed, WV6H.

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You’re invited to an Antenna Party Saturday

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 12/11/2017

SPARC members are all welcome and encouraged to assist at the assembly, repair and erection of antennas at W4GAC. Starting at 9:00AM on Saturday 12/16, the tower will be lowered to replace the rotator. At the same time, adjustments will be made to accommodate the center support for the new 80/160 dipole. The south end of the dipole will be attached to a tree near 90th Avenue. The north end will terminate at a new “tower” to be installed at the north end of the property. Finally, a new 40M vertical will be installed on the tower atop the shipping containers.

Everyone is welcome. Workers, assemblers, hold diggers, supervisors, laborers, students, etc.

 

 

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Automatic Antenna Switch Decoder added to W4GAC Station

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 03/20/2017

Ron KP2N and Tom NY4I added a Top Ten Devices Band Decoder to the W4GAC station. This switch ties into the existing Six Pack antenna switch. The idea is that rather than the operator having to select the right antenna, the Band Decoder follows a signal sent from the radio that tells the decoder what band the radio is on at the time. The corresponding position is then switched on the antenna switch. So when the radio is on bands 10m – 20m, the Log Periodic is selected. When it is on 80 or 40m, the dipole is selected. It is also possible to use alternate antennas (in case we want to have a 40m vertical as well).

This addition is also needed for the remote station as the manual selection switch would not work with a remote station to change antennas. Below are a couple of pictures of the project. One is the band decoder and another is a handy little DB-25 breakout Ron used to get the pin outs correct before he soldered up the DB25.

DB25 Breakout Board

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URGENT Action Required for the Amateur Radio Parity Act!

By Tom Schaefer NY4I on 11/21/2016

From the ARRL:

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), is still not supporting H.R. 1301 / S.253 the Amateur Radio Parity Act.

In fact, Senator Nelson has placed a “hold” on the legislation, effectively barring consideration of the Bill despite its widespread bipartisan support.  If this hold isn’t removed, the bill will die in the Senate and require the process to completely start over when the new Congress begins on January 1, 2017.

You are one of well over 40,000 licensed Amateur Radio operators living in Florida.  Many of you already live in deed-restricted communities, and that number grows daily.

We need you to reach out to Senator Nelson TODAY!  Right away.  We know that thousands of you have written to the Senator.  NOW IS THE TIME TO CALL HIM ON THE PHONE, tell him you’re a constituent, that you support H.R. 1301 and S.253, demand that he stop blocking the Bill, and to support the legislation to its passage.

Here are his phone numbers.  Please call your local office AND the Washington D.C. office.

Office                                Phone
Washington D.C.:          202-224-5274

Broward                           954-693-4851

Fort Myers                       239-334-7760

Jacksonville                     904-346-4500

Miami-Dade                    305-536-5999
Orlando                            407-872-7161 or toll free in Florida: 1-888-671-4091

Tallahassee                      850-942-8415

Tampa                               813-225-7040

West Palm Beach            561-514-0189

Thank you.
Very 73,
Rick

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Rick Roderick, K5UR
President
ARRL – The national association for Amateur Radio®

 

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W4TA back in Contest Mode…New Antennas Work Great

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 11/06/2016

With the completion of the relocation of our Log Periodic antenna on our new tower and the erection of a temporary dipole for 40M/80M, W4TA is on the air. The tower puts the antennas up around 55 feet. And boy do they work well in combination with the Alpha 9500 amplifier. We inaugurated the antenna/amplifier combination in the CW Sweepstakes contest, the oldest contest in amateur radio. It was no effort to hold a frequency and it was fun to hear the pile ups focused on us.

Congratulations to all that were involved in raising the SPARC contesting effort to a new level.

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Tom, W4CU working CW Sweepstakes
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Contest Crockpot Chile keeps the operators fueled for the contest
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New tower fully extended
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Looking up the tower
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Special lunar element enhances propagation

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Log Periodic Antenna Moved

By Bob Wanek N2ESP on 11/02/2016

The Log Periodic antenna was transferred from its old location atop the shipping containers to the new tower by John, KI4UIP; Donn, N4KII; Dave, KR4U; Bob, N2ESP; and Hal, W1EES. Ron, KP2N replaced the logging computer power supply. With luck, W4TA will be ready for the sweepstakes. Click on title for photos.

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The LP antenna removed from shipping containers.
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The LP antenna installed on new tower.

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