[AK-VHF] RSVP: 6 Meter Antenna Test on Tuesday Evening

Brandon Clark kl7bsc at gmail.com
Tue May 5 14:51:26 EDT 2020 

Hi Ed,

That's pretty cool about working as far as KY and TX with the antenna. 
That was from Nikiski? I used to have a homebrew 3-element beam for 6 M 
that I used when hilltop contesting back in California. It worked really 
well, and it's surprising how even adding a little directivity can go a 
long way.

Will the email list allow attachments? I'm not sure if they will go 
through, but I attached screenshots of the 4NEC2 modeled performance. 
(If they don't go through, anyone who wants can email me off-list and 
I'll forward the images.)

It has little to no response to vertical polarization, so these charts 
are for horizontal gain. I always include "average ground" in my models 
(more realistic and useful, in my opinion), so the pattern shows the 
expected peaks and nulls at different elevation angles. As I hoped 
though, using a V shape for the arms does give it some response off the 
side. A straight dipole would usually have an extremely deep null there, 
and generally require rotation capability. It isn't as omni-directional 
as a halo or squalo, but it has better SWR bandwidth, is MUCH simpler to 
build, and can be assembled for about $15.

Initially I am going to mount it with the main lobes (most gain) 
oriented north-south. Anchorage will be easily covered no matter what, 
but with a roughly north-south orientation I should have some reach 
towards both Fairbanks and the peninsula. I'll no doubt make other 
refinements later on, but it should make for a decent start.

Brandon


On 5/5/20 10:29 AM, Edward R Cole wrote:
> Brandon,
>
> Don't get me wrong, a simple horizontal dipole is good start and 
> useful for near omni-deirectional antenna in an urban setting.
>
> I worked many stations on Es as far as KY and TX with my simple 
> 3-element yagi.  It does not take up much space (mine has elements 
> spaced 32 inches so only a little more than 5-foot long.  I converted 
> a 72-MHz DB Products commercial antenna by just lengthening the elements.
>
> Ed
> If I hear you I will transmit 80w (max power with my amp).  I've 
> worked KL6M with it.
>
> At 09:46 AM 5/5/2020, Brandon Clark wrote:
>> Hello grou
>>
>> Good points about band openings. What I'm envisioning with this 
>> antenna is to just get a start on the band, and use it for the 
>> digital net coming soon. Later on I'll probably be setting up 
>> something more substantial for working band openings. I need to come 
>> up with a design that is reasonably compact though. Fun project for 
>> another day!
>>
>> I'm going to go on-air tonight at about 8 PM local time and do some 
>> testing. I'll be operating on 50.125 USB. I'll start out with about 
>> 20 watts and then adjust up or down as needed.
>>
>> Thanks everyone,
>>
>> Brandon
>>
>>
>>
>> On 5/5/20 8:21 AM, Edward R Cole wrote:
>>> HI Guys!
>>>
>>> At your distance probably not that bad.  I've noted that 
>>> crosspolarity adds about 15-dB loss to signals (not the 20+ dB 
>>> theoretical loss).  On occasion in the past my eme array was 
>>> switched to Hpol on the 2m net and some folks noted I was not as 
>>> strong.  Fixed by switching to Vpol with my x-yagi array.
>>>
>>> I  might listen in with my 3-element yagi (thought bolted to side 
>>> of the tower in SE direction).
>>>
>>> On 6m CW/SSB (and probably digital modes, too) all activity is 
>>> horizontal polarity in the rest of the world.  Might make a 
>>> difference working into the lower-48 and Canada during openings 
>>> (May-July) is the sporatic-E season (already openings have occurred 
>>> farther south: Montana to South America).
>>>
>>> One really should think of at least a small yagi using Hpol to take 
>>> best advantage of these openings.  Monitor 50.125 for SSB, 50.313 
>>> for FT8 or 50.193 for WSPR pointing azimuth 125 degrees. On our long 
>>> RV trip in summer 2018 I worked 26-states on 6m-SSB from CO (DN70) 
>>> on one day during the CQ VHF Contest in July using a moxon at 
>>> 14-foot (mast bolted to RV ladder).
>>>
>>> GL
>>>
>>> 73, Ed - KL7UW
>>>
>>> At 07:04 AM 5/5/2020, you wrote:
>>>> Hi Craig,
>>>>
>>>> Sure, 8 PM sounds good to me. We might have trouble hearing each other
>>>> though since yu are running vertical polarization. It never hurts 
>>>> to try
>>>> though.
>>>> Brandon
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, May 4, 2020, 21:56 Ruthann Bledsoe 
>>>> <ruthann.bledsoe at alaskaair.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > HI Brandon >>>
>>>> >
>>>> >      Sure - Tomorrow (Tuesday) night is fine.  No online 
>>>> conferences or
>>>> > Nets on my agenda (now that the Simplex Net has moved to 
>>>> Wednesday) as far
>>>> > as I know right now.  How about 8 PM ADT?  My Hamfest scavenged 
>>>> Arrow 6M
>>>> > ground plane is up and running, but not yet permanently hooked up 
>>>> to the
>>>> > console inside.  Therefore I can work 6M FM with 5 watts from my 
>>>> HT just
>>>> > fine, plus I can receive SSB or CW with a different handheld at 
>>>> the bottom
>>>> > of the band as well.  Does this work for you?
>>>> >
>>>> >      Hope to hear you soon.
>>>> >
>>>> >Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
>>>>                               73,
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Craig
>>>> >
>>>> > ________________________________________
>>>> > From: ak-vhf-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
>>>> <ak-vhf-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on
>>>> > behalf of Brandon Clark <kl7bsc at gmail.com>
>>>> > Sent: Monday, May 4, 2020 19:11
>>>> > To: AK VHF+ Group
>>>> > Subject: [AK-VHF] 6 M antenna testing
>>>> >
>>>> > Hello group,
>>>> >
>>>> > Is anyone up for a 6 M QSO tomorrow? I have finished building the 
>>>> new 6 M
>>>> > dipole that I have been talking about, and will be mounting it on 
>>>> the roof
>>>> > tomorrow morning. If anyone is available for a test or two that 
>>>> would be
>>>> > great.
>>>> >
>>>> > The antenna tunes the lower 2 MHz of the 6 M band as-is. The SWR 
>>>> curve is
>>>> > very gradual, so with a tuner it can be made to cover the upper 
>>>> half of the
>>>> > band as well.
>>>> >
>>>> > Brandon, KL7BSC
>>>> > ______________________________________________________________
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> ______________________________________________________________
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>>>
>>> 73, Ed - KL7UW
>>>   http://www.kl7uw.com
>>> Dubus-NA Business mail:
>>>   dubususa at gmail.com
>> ______________________________________________________________
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>
> 73, Ed - KL7UW
>   http://www.kl7uw.com
> Dubus-NA Business mail:
>   dubususa at gmail.com

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