[450] Thinking out loud: 2M antenna installation

[William Knapp / KC1WJ]

George and the group --

I just have a vertical for 10, but I have a pretty decent shot to the  
north and can muster up about 700 watts.



Quoting David McKenzie <k1fsy at vhfwiki.com>:

> try to work out a sched with bill, he's always on 10 meters and he has a
> big amp
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 2, 2014 at 11:21 AM, George Andrews <gandrews at ntplx.net> wrote:
>
>> 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> 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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>>
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