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

Wed May 6 01:43:34 EDT 2020

Nothing heard down here.

Not surprising since my yagi is pointed 
90-degrees from Anchorage.  I noted some noise 
raising the s-meter about one unit; turning on 
the NB reduced it.  In the past trying 6m during 
the simplex net is was difficult to hear 
Anchorage stations on 6m using my 6-element yagi 
(pointed at Anchorage).  I surmised that part of 
this was that many stations use vertical antennas 
on 6m which then suffer cross-pol loss with my horizontal antenna(s).

Brandon, you could use a small battery with your 
FT-817 and connect a rubber duckie for antenna 
(doesn't matter if it is a 2m duck since you will 
not transmit thru it).  Use some tin foil to 
shield the antenna or make it directional.  First 
test should be turning off everything in your 
house.  If noise goes away you can probably 
narrow down where it is by sequentially turning 
on each breaker until it shows up.

GL, Ed

At 08:57 PM 5/5/2020, Brandon Clark wrote:
>Hello group,
>
>Well, the good news is that the antenna works. 
>The bad news is I have a severe RFI issue that 
>I'll have to track down. I have a broadband 
>static in the background that was reading about 
>an S5-7 on my radio the whole time.
>
>Still, I was just able to make out Shannon's 
>transmissions from up on the hillside. Tom came 
>back with his 5-element beam and punched past 
>the noise. If anyone has any tips for hunting 
>noise on the 6 M band feel free to email me 
>off-list. I'm familiar with using a handheld 
>beam and attenuator to locate noise on higher 
>bands where yagis can be handheld, but I'm going 
>to have to come up with something different for the 6 M band.
>
>On a good note, the CW beacon on 50.067 was 
>coming in loud and clear, well above the noise. 
>That bodes well for potentially running digital 
>modes, even before the RFI issue is solved. 
>Anyone care to try psk31 tomorrow evening?
>
>Brandon
>
>
>On 5/5/20 12:59 PM, Edward R Cole wrote:
>>Here's my log: http://www.kl7uw.com/6M-LOG.pdf 
>><http://www.kl7uw.com/6M-LOG.pdf>
>>All done with 100w with a FT-847 and the 3-elem 
>>yagi at 20-foot in Nikiski (the old house).
>>
>>E-mail attachments limited to 40kB so I had to 
>>approve your large attachments.
>>
>>Ed
>>
>>At 10:51 AM 5/5/2020, Brandon Clark wrote:
>>>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.Â  It does 
>>>>not take up much space (mine has elements 
>>>>spaced 32 inches so only a little more than 
>>>>5-foot long.Â  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).Â 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.Ã‚Â  I've noted that crosspolarity adds 
>>>>>>about 15-dB loss to signals (not the 20+ dB 
>>>>>>theoretical loss).Ã‚Â  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.Ã‚Â  Fixed by switching to Vpol with my x-yagiÃ‚ array.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>IÃ‚Â  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.Ã‚Â  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.Ã‚Â  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 >>>
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> >Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚Â  Sure - Tomorrow 
>>>>>>> (Tuesday) night is fine.Ã‚Â  No online conferences or
>>>>>>> > Nets on my agenda (now that the Simplex 
>>>>>>> Net has moved to Wednesday) as far
>>>>>>> > as I know right now.Ã‚Â  How about 8 PM 
>>>>>>> ADT?Ã‚Â  My Hamfest scavenged Arrow 6M
>>>>>>> > ground plane is up and running, but not 
>>>>>>> yet permanently hooked up to the
>>>>>>> > console inside.Ã‚Â  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.Ã‚Â  Does this work for you?
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> >Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚Â  Hope to hear you soon.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> >Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ 
>>>>>>> Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ 
>>>>>>> Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ 
>>>>>>> Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚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
>>>>>>> > ______________________________________________________________
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>______________________________________________________________
>>>>>>>ak-vhf mailing list
>>>>>>>Home: 
>>>>>>>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ak- 
>>>>>>>vhf <http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ak-vhf>
>>>>>>>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm 
>>>>>>><http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm>
>>>>>>>Post: mailto:ak-vhf at mailman.qth.net <mailto:ak-vhf at mailman.qth.net>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net <http://www.qsl.net/>
>>>>>>>Please help support this email list: 
>>>>>>>http://www.qsl.net/donate.html <http://www.qsl.net/donate.html>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>73, Ed - KL7UW
>>>>>>Ã‚Â http://www.kl7uw.com <http://www.kl7uw.com/>
>>>>>>Dubus-NA Business mail:
>>>>>>Ã‚Â dubususa at gmail.com
>>>>>______________________________________________________________
>>>>>ak-vhf mailing list
>>>>>Home: 
>>>>>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ak-vh 
>>>>>f <http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ak-vhf>
>>>>>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm <http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm>
>>>>>Post: mailto:ak-vhf at mailman.qth.net <mailto:ak-vhf at mailman.qth.net>
>>>>>
>>>>>This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net <http://www.qsl.net/>
>>>>>Please help support this email list: 
>>>>>http://www.qsl.net/donate.html <http://www.qsl.net/donate.html>
>>>>
>>>>73, Ed - KL7UW
>>>>Â http://www.kl7uw.com <http://www.kl7uw.com/>
>>>>Dubus-NA Business mail:
>>>>Â  dubususa at gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>>______________________________________________________________
>>>ak-vhf mailing list
>>>Home: 
>>>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ak-vhf 
>>><http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ak-vhf>
>>>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm <http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm>
>>>Post: mailto:ak-vhf at mailman.qth.net <mailto:ak-vhf at mailman.qth.net>
>>>
>>>This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net <http://www.qsl.net/>
>>>Please help support this email list: 
>>>http://www.qsl.net/donate.html <http://www.qsl.net/donate.html>
>>
>>73, Ed - KL7UW
>>http://www.kl7uw.com
>><http://www.kl7uw.com/>Dubus-NA Business mail:
>>   dubususa at gmail.com
>______________________________________________________________
>ak-vhf mailing list
>Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ak-vhf
>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>Post: mailto:ak-vhf at mailman.qth.net
>
>This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

73, Ed - KL7UW
   http://www.kl7uw.com
Dubus-NA Business mail:
   dubususa at gmail.com 