The AM Forum

Here's some shots from 60' up of the log that hit the ground at 18,000 mph:

New homebrew 40M 3el full sized Yagi about to go up:

Tom,
I certainly hope that today was a much better day than yesterday. I have had those days where you have the 'King Midas's Touch'. Where everything you touch turns to shit! Nothing like a few cold 807s and some friends to talk about "Boy, what a day that was!"

I'm having trouble getting decent resolution to the log pictures. I have some good ones, but the files are too big. Will keep trying.

In the meantime:

The new homebrew 15el 6M Yagi on a 115' boom:

The new four Stacked Halos for 6M. Notice they are not really round, but that's OK... ;D

Yaz III - he's 2 years old on Aug 31st!

Log Damage on the front:

I see a resemblance between Hurl and Yaz.  Hmmmmmm-it's funny how the dog seems to take on the image of his master ;D

Log bent aluminum cut off with saws-all:

Hmmm..
I think escape velocity is about 17,000 mph. That log could have gone into orbit if you aimed it right!

Bill

Here's a shot of the new 6M "e" skip array. It's eight, 3el Yagis fed in phase. It will be mounted only 20' off the ground to beam 15- 45 degree high angle skip. Experimental array.  Actually, electrically  equivalent to two "H" frames side by side.

Here's a shot of a technique I use to insulate ellments from the boom. That's aluminum plate u-bolted to the boom with fiberglass vertical plates holding the element. All of the Yagis use this here. It makes the element length prediction very precise, otherwise boom and metal plate currents cause the element to need lenghtening and depends upon too many factors for accuracy.  It sits about 3" above the boom for good coupling isolation too.

ie, You can use exactly what the computer models says to use for el length w/o regard for boom/plate correction factors. [element  taper correction is still needed IF it uses tapered elements]

While we're at it, here's a shot I took today of the QTH from 60'. A beautiful summer day. Can you see the cat ramp coming off the back porch? Also notice the tiny log at 50' on the house tower - used for FM radio, TV, etc.

That's it for pictures  - for now!   ;)

T

Tom, what is your source for aluminum tubing?

THis makes me very sad.   Your log was a thing of beauty.  I'm just very thankful you didn't get hurt and nothing else got wrecked.

73 John

Tom - I think what happened to your log "sucks the big swahili"! I'm just glad nobody was hurt.

Did you state the 6M beam was on a 115 foot boom? Maddone, what an antenna! I also like your four halo array. Makes me want to get motivated to do something more with antennas around here.

Yep, John, I know that log was your favorite. However, the one you molested on the ground that time was the newer one at 60' and it came down safely. It's now disassembled awaiting a new life as a 20M Yagi.

Eric, these days I get most of the aluminum from a metal scrap yard. It goes for about $1.50-$1.75 per pound.  Building an antenna with it can cut costs about 75-85% or more.  Amazing savings. Bob/K1KBW just built a 4el 6M Yagi using their scrap for only $21 !  His looks better and is stronger than some the commercial ham antennas.

Joe, yes the halo is a great antenna for omni-directional use. I plan to stack the four you see in phase, at 170', 155', 140' and 125'. They will be horizontally polarized and have a compressed angle [gain] on the horizon, with not much high angle due to the vertical stacking. When in a round table or just plan listening for general openings, they are better than a Yagi.  Once the opening is heard, then the Yagi gets turned, etc.

And yes, that is a 115' boom for the 6M Yagi. The first 24' of the boom center is 4 1/2" diameter  aluminum, with three overhead steel cables both ways, and three side phillystran ropes to prevent snaking. You can walk on the boom. The boom to mast plate is made from 3/8" steel I-beam that I welded up with the arc welder. It may possibly be the longest boom rotary 6M Yagi [or any band Yagi] in the world today, I dunno... I don't think anyone else is stupid enough to try any bigger...;D   This antenna has a very clean pattern and requires only one rotation system at the top of the tower - prop pitch. In contrast, to get the same gain with a stack would make rotation and other details more complex. The long boom actually pushes much of the energy down towards the horizon, much like a stack does. But, it's all a  compromise, like anything.

Jay, yep Yaz and Hurl would make a great team in the park picking up chicks. They might even make an appearance at the Gay Rodeo at Gaithersburg. Hurl says he's good at riding bulls in crotchless chaps.

T

Modern Art:

(http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5380.0;id=242;image)

 ;D ;D ;D ;D

Real happy that you are OK and nobody was hurt.  You crazy old man, you...

didn't your mother ever tell you to leave your log alone.
What a bummer!

Tom, your antenna farm is truly amazing!  Hope you get the damaged stuff all back together without getting on action news or anything!

73,

Rob WB1AEX

Log abuse is a terrible thing.

Tom,
I wonder if you avatar change caused your log problems??????????
Maybe it is time to change to Albert for good luck

Think I'll leave Hurl up here for a few more days and then look for something else.

Speaking of avatars, yours gets my vote for the "What the hell izit?" award.  ;D ;D ;D

Let me guess... is it a joystick for Asteroids?

(http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?action=dlattach;id=67;type=avatar)

Class E final before it went into the chassis.
"The big 10 inch transformer"

"New homebrew 40M 3el full sized Yagi about to go up:"

What's the enclosure it's sitting on...looks like a military thingie to go on a truck.

Is your antenna farm visible on google earth?  What's the Lat. & Long.?

Paul,

Yes, that's a military communications shelter, vintage 1990, once used for tactical radar, etc. I got five of them surplus back in 1998. They were stripped and used for storage.  They weigh 2,000 pounds each and are all aluminum.

The coordinates for the QTH here are:  41  40  28.3      72  29  19.7

My computer is too old to handle Google Earth software, so let me know what you see, if anything. I did view some shots once, but they were not high enuff resolution to see the small footprint off vertical towers or guy cables.

T

Really couldn't see any antennas, just the shadows from a couple of towers.  But I (barely) recognized the house and general setting.  Wow!

Luckily, your QTH is in a hi-res strip running south from the M'ass. border.  They must've done that just for your QTH!

Interesting.

Is that a current shot? ie, if you can see three large warehouse type buildings about 1/4 mile from the house, then it's pre year 2000. Those were chicken coops that were torn down five years ago.

But, I'll bet with proprietary military satellite views, you could tell if I used 'N' or PL-259's out there... :-)

T

This is what I see, if I got everything right...

Wow that's an amazing shot.

It's correct, and and was taken sometime before June since I can still see some small trees that were cleared back then. Looks like maybe 11:00 AM based on the sun shadows.  You can actually see the white glare from two of the 18'X18' concrete tower bases. Also, there's a clear shadow of one of the 190' towers, as you said.

It looks about the same view as a naked eye view from about 5,000-6,000 ft in an airplane.

Thanks, Paul!

T

You're very welcome, Tom.

I've spent hours surfing the world on that tool.  Found every building I ever
lived in.  My impression is that Google updates when it can, not all areas are that resolution.  Maybe a lat/long database here could let us visit each other from space.  I don't think those grid thingies are precise enough.

Anyway, thank you for the lat/long; I never could have found your QTH without it.

73,

Paul