[450] Thinking out loud: 2M antenna installation

[William Knapp / KC1WJ]

I'll listen on 28.400 and see if I hear you, but the band is open and  
pretty busy...some contest going on.



Quoting George Andrews <gandrews at ntplx.net>:

> Bob,
>
>
>
> Thought you would have info. The work you and N1SAG did is
> applicable to what I would try to do. The antenna will
> always be horizontal. I may do a pilot with a three element
> as that will be a lot easier and provide proof of principle.
> I think that I want to get the two meter beam up and the
> station running sometime in the spring. I have a carpenter
> friend who will help with the installation. Not sure how
> high up it will be. Probably thirty feet above ground level.
> The wind, ice and subzero temperatures really stress things.
> My installation of the Cobra Ultralight  would have been up
> for two or three years in CT. It came down during an icy
> stretch of windy subzero temperatures. Our low so far was
> -18 F, not corrected for wind chill. We get stretches of 1
> to 4 below zero, uncorrected for wind chill. The
> temperatures don't bother me, I just stay in if it is close
> to 20 below. It puts antenna installation in another
> category altogether. I already bought some grease for
> mechanical things that is good to -40. I will have to make
> sure all the rotators have low temperature grease.
>
>
>
> I expect I should be able to get to CT on 2M SSB. I would
> like to have the 2M beam up, the HF dipole and HF vertical
> up by summer. I plan to put a 40 M loop up that should also
> do well on 10 M. I just have to make sure nothing is located
> where a moose might get tangled up. We have an assortment of
> critters that run through the yard. Got a moose on game
> camera about ten feet from our front door. We saw a mama
> bear and cub within thirty feet of the house. I think I
> scared them away. There is also a bobcat that has been
> running around in the yard, perhaps after squirrels and
> birds.
>
>
>
> Will keep you posted on experiments and try testing things
> with you where possible.
>
>
>
> Made contact with a Texas station on 28.400 MHz a little
> while ago. I have been putting out calls by voice and eCW.
> Will be monitoring that frequency for a while.
>
>
>
>
>
> George
>
>
>
> From: 450-bounces at lists.vhfwiki.com
> [mailto:450-bounces at lists.vhfwiki.com] On Behalf Of Bob
> Sent: Sunday, February 2, 2014 10:42 AM
> To: 450
> Subject: Re: [450] Thinking out loud: 2M antenna
> installation
>
>
>
> George,
>
> Simplest answer, whatever works.
>
> That being said, Dave, N1SAG, and I did extensive testing on
> 432 with his pair of yagis mounted side by side (like mine)
> horizontally.  He was in a bit of a pit, and the thought was
> if he had elevation adjustment he might be able to
> manipulate the manner by which his signal propagated over
> his "horizon".  In short, he never was able to achieve the
> desired or expected results.  His observation was that there
> was virtually no difference within the range that
> "worked"...meaning if he had the elevation anywhere between
> just below level up to some angle (don't remember
> specifically what that was, he would have a signal and
> adjustment would not vary the level within that range.
> Outside that range he had nothing.  This is one guy, in one
> set of circumstances, but we were both quite frankly
> surprised.
>
> Further, WA2WEJ had his single yagi on an elevation rotor
> for vertical to horizontal excursions, and often adjusted
> somewhere between to see if there was ever a circumstance
> where it would be helpful.  The only time it was useful was
> when the need arose to work to differently polarized signals
> at once without major degradation.  He found that 45 degrees
> didn't seriously attenuate either signal,  Your mileage may
> vary.  You may even find an eggbeater may be just the ticket
> for this one elusive signal, as Tom has found with the Larry
> contact.  Berlin Larry has used a stacked "double diamond"
> antenna to propagate over a major obstruction and has had
> decent results.  Then there is the phenomenon noted while
> parked at work, all Waterbury stations pointed at me, and
> moving 8 inches forward or backward brings up one and drops
> out another.
>
> In short, EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT!!!
>
> Good luck and let me know how it works out!
>
> Bob
>
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 2, 2014 at 9:38 AM, George Andrews
> <gandrews at ntplx.net <mailto:gandrews at ntplx.net> > wrote:
>
> Group,
>
>
>
> My first thought is to direct the question to you Bob.
> Others may have practical experience with the concept.
>
>
>
> I can't reach the Mt. Washington repeater from my house.
> Apparently I am somehow in the shadow of it. My 2M antenna
> will be 2M9. 9 elements on 14 feet. One would ordinarily
> install the antenna such that it is perfectly horizontal. I
> am wondering what the result would be to install it slightly
> off horizontal. Maybe as much as 10 degrees upwardly
> directed. I do plan to research net sources of info on this
> topic.
>
>
>
> I used a 4 element beam and had fun bouncing signals off
> airplanes when in Seymour CT. Got to a couple of repeaters
> in NYS off the deck using an HT. It takes effort to track
> the plane, but not impossible for short QSO's.
>
>
>
> Perhaps someone has an EME setup has tried this to see what
> the impact is.
>
>
>
> George
>
>
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