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Author Topic: Dawg House  (Read 54958 times)
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #75 on: February 02, 2011, 03:55:12 PM »

I finally got all the array of antenna tuners ganged together and working.  Here are some photos.

Here is what you see when the doors are opened, with close ups of the 80m dipole tuner at the bottom of the house and the 40m dipole and 160m vertical tuners up above.

At the bottom right is the 80m vertical tuner.


* 40m dipole 160m vert tuners.JPG (1194.37 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 782 times.)

* 80m dipole tuner.JPG (1168.45 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 791 times.)

* front view.JPG (1169.31 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 815 times.)
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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k4kyv
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« Reply #76 on: February 02, 2011, 04:04:24 PM »

Here is a close up of the selector switch handle, the 160m dipole tuner + motor/worm drive assembly, and a rear view of the dawg house showing the OWL to the dipole and the feed wire to the base of the vertical as they exit the house.


* selector switch.JPG (1157.81 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 6388 times.)

* motor and 160m dipole tuner.JPG (1166.53 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 786 times.)

* rear close up.JPG (1136.96 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 745 times.)
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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k4kyv
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« Reply #77 on: February 02, 2011, 04:16:34 PM »

Here is a side view of the house showing the interim coax link that runs to the shack and SO-239 adaptor attached to the twin ceramic feed-throughs, the 60-ft of OWL added to the main feed line when using the dipole on 160, and the terminating pole carrying the overhead coax, rotor cable that operates the remote tuning system, and both ends of the 60 ft OWL section as they exit the house.


* side view.JPG (1148.54 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 752 times.)

* tennis net.JPG (1154.2 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 768 times.)

* pole termination.JPG (1045.43 KB, 1716x2576 - viewed 744 times.)
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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This message was typed using the DVORAK keyboard layout.
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K5UJ
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« Reply #78 on: February 02, 2011, 05:12:41 PM »

Don, beautiful work, congratulations.   The homebrew feedline, ceramic insulators...edge wound coils and porcelain shaft insulators all very AMish and buzzardly.   Where did you get the dpdt knife switches?  I have one just like them I got at a hamfest waaay back in the 1970s when I was a novice and I have hung on to it ever since.  I have never seen another one like it for sale at any fest since.   I think mine is mil. surplus.

Rob
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #79 on: February 02, 2011, 06:54:31 PM »

Mine are mil surplus.  Some are marked "US Army Signal Corps".  I modified mine slightly.  Got rid of the steel nuts and washers and replaced them with brass.  The nuts were soldered to the other metal parts, so I had to get out my jumbo soldering iron with 1" tip.  I never use ferrous metals anywhere near rf or where any electricity is conducted.  I picked up one here and one there over the years until I had accumulated enough for this project.  One of those shown in the photos is spdt while the others are dpdt.  I still have another one that is 3pdt.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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« Reply #80 on: February 02, 2011, 07:49:25 PM »

Sounds like another example of the good stuff that's unobtainium now.   Glad I hung on to mine.
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w3jn
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« Reply #81 on: February 02, 2011, 08:32:23 PM »

Beautiful, Don!

I love that bigassed switch~!
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« Reply #82 on: February 02, 2011, 09:13:23 PM »

Those pictures are awesome Don. It's obvious you have spent many years thinking and planning this project because it shows. Hand made perfection......

Mike
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« Reply #83 on: February 02, 2011, 09:32:09 PM »

Mine are mil surplus.  Some are marked "US Army Signal Corps".  I modified mine slightly.  Got rid of the steel nuts and washers and replaced them with brass.  The nuts were soldered to the other metal parts, so I had to get out my jumbo soldering iron with 1" tip.  I never use ferrous metals anywhere near rf or where any electricity is conducted.  I picked up one here and one there over the years until I had accumulated enough for this project.  One of those shown in the photos is spdt while the others are dpdt.  I still have another one that is 3pdt.

I have all three of the military RF knife switches you have described, Don. I found mine while dumpster diving (something I readily admit to doing at every chance and I have no embarrassment in admitting it, either) at a big radio yard sale here on Long Island about 10 years ago. The amount of good, usable radio and electronic stuff (parts mostly) in that 40-foot long dumpster was amazing, and it was all going to be hauled off to the local landfill otherwise. Heaven only knows how many times this kind of scenario has been repeated in the past, and will again in the future. I'm glad I was able to rescue and put to use what I could from that pile.

I use the DPDT switch to ground my open wire transmission line when the station is not in use; it is military-nomenclatured as SA-13/U.

I also replaced the hardware on this DPDT switch, which is the only one of the lot that I am currently using, but I used stainless steel fasteners instead. I really don't know if there is any meaningful or measurable difference performance-wise between brass and stainless steel in this application, but I suspect any difference between the two materials is probably negligible.

That is is very nice doghouse you built, from both an appearance and functionality standpoint.

73,

Bruce
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Real transmitters are homebrewed with a ratchet wrench, and you have to stand up to tune them!

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k4kyv
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« Reply #84 on: February 02, 2011, 09:51:35 PM »

Wow.  I can't imagine anyone throwing those in a dumpster, particularly at a radio yard sale, assuming the sellers had even the slightest clue of what they were trying to peddle.

I have seen those things listed on ePay get into the $50-$100 range.  I got all of mine at hamfest flea markets for a few bucks each, or found them in a $10 pile of junk filling a box under a vendor's table, but that was 20 years or more ago. I seem to recall seeing one or two at Dayton recently, and they were a little too pricey for my interest.

I have three in the dawg house; one to ground the OWL going up the tower, one to ground out the vertical and the third one for  the feedline that comes in from the shack.  I also have a 4th one, a dpdt set aside to go into the shack when I build the OWL run from shack to dawg house.

For additional lightning protection, each one of the two messenger wires carrying the coax and rotor cables from shack to tower is bonded to every metal pole that supports it. The poles are about 28 ft. apart and there are 6 of them, each driven to a little over 2 ft. into the ground.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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« Reply #85 on: February 02, 2011, 10:11:45 PM »

Wow.  I can't imagine anyone throwing those in a dumpster, particularly at a radio yard sale, assuming the sellers had even the slightest clue of what they were trying to peddle.

I have seen those things listed on ePay get into the $50-$100 range.  I got all of mine at hamfest flea markets for a few bucks each, or found them in a $10 pile of junk filling a box under a vendor's table, but that was 20 years or more ago. I seem to recall seeing one or two at Dayton recently, and they were a little too pricey for my interest.


Come to think of it, Don, I found two more of the those big-ass DPDT RF knife switches at Deerfield/Nearfest back in May of 2008, and they were very cheap as I recall; something on the order of $5.00 for both of them. I picked them up from a guy who also sold me an unused RCA 833A and some other sundry broadcast-type stuff at an extremely fair price. Those switches are staying on the shelf for a future antenna project. They can still be found, and I'm sure there are many hams out there who have squirrelled them away over the years, like me.

73,

Bruce
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Real transmitters are homebrewed with a ratchet wrench, and you have to stand up to tune them!

Arthur C. Clarke's Third Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic".
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« Reply #86 on: February 03, 2011, 01:54:54 AM »

Outstanding work Don! I'm loving the antenna selector switch. This should serve you well for many years to come.

Too bad they just don't make hardware like that anymore.  Cry
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-Tim
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« Reply #87 on: February 03, 2011, 08:20:27 AM »

Just our of curiosity I checked Fair Radio and Surplus Sales and they both had zero knife switches which I found kind of surprising.  Then I searched knife switch on ebay and got a bunch, mostly cheap plastic garbage.  There were a few that looked buzzardly but nothing like those big mil. surplus switches we have.     But get this, the few that almost looked okay were eye-poppingly high priced, anywhere from $100 to $300!!  For a frigging knife switch!   Damn, i guess I'd better put mine in a safe deposit box.     You better put a lock on yur dog house Don!  you never know, you might have a crack head in your area.
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Steve - K4HX
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« Reply #88 on: February 03, 2011, 12:08:14 PM »

You could build your own knife switches for a lot less.
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #89 on: February 03, 2011, 02:43:59 PM »

Here are some more pictures.  For some reason, it will only let me post two attachments, so the rest will follow.

The rack-mounted remote tuning control/indicator unit

Control/indicator unit rear view



* remote indicator unit2.JPG (1150.01 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 731 times.)

* remote indicator rear view.JPG (1176.79 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 702 times.)
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

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This message was typed using the DVORAK keyboard layout.
http://www.mwbrooks.com/dvorak
k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #90 on: February 03, 2011, 02:50:09 PM »

Tuner/antenna selector switch.  Homebrew, assembled from parts taken from five large ceramic 10-pole rotary switches.

View of the coax and rotor cable entrance to shack.

The black wire used to connect to the switch is #8 stranded with plastic insulation and fabric sheath.  This was used instead of solid wire or copper strap to allow the wires to be moved without putting excessive stress on the switch tab terminals



* selector switch.JPG (1170.71 KB, 2576x1716 - viewed 704 times.)

* control cable entrance to shack.JPG (1038.04 KB, 1716x2576 - viewed 728 times.)
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

- - -
This message was typed using the DVORAK keyboard layout.
http://www.mwbrooks.com/dvorak
Steve - K4HX
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« Reply #91 on: February 03, 2011, 04:09:41 PM »

You've pegged the Coolness Factor meter! Thanks for the photos.
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« Reply #92 on: February 03, 2011, 04:17:15 PM »

Very coool. All you need is someone to run outside and flip the switch for you
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k4kyv
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Don
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« Reply #93 on: February 04, 2011, 11:20:53 AM »

A ham in Ohio gave me a stepper motor and TTL logic board.  I am going to try to get it running, and if it displays enough torque, use it to rotate the selector switch remotely from the shack.
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Don, K4KYV                                       AMI#5
Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM...    Never got off AM in the first place.

- - -
This message was typed using the DVORAK keyboard layout.
http://www.mwbrooks.com/dvorak
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