[K3CAL] [CALV-AUXCOMM] Monday night net

Mon Jul 6 21:03:50 EDT 2020

Thanks Bob, I havent listened to the radio much, but without listening at Mt. Hope for the sound pattern of the noise I can not say for sure. My best guess is lack of maintenance on the tower light system; that has been a big problem in the past. The system is in the  room at the end of the trailer (not the radio station, the opposite end of the trailer). The system goes into alarm for burnt out light, or circuit problem and wont reset until someone comes out to fix the problem, or remove the circuit. The alarm is transmitted to monitoring station, so they can schedule service/repair. There most likely no monitoring, service or repair for those towers anymore, so it will continue unless the tower is dismantled or the FAA see the light out. Hopefully the other shelter will be better, if we are allowed access with out an escort.  

Sent from my iPad,
Best Regards, 
Jim Tetlow

> On Jul 6, 2020, at 18:53, "n3pph at comcast.net" <n3pph at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> FYI to all, I was at Mt. Hope last night with my friend John and a network analyzer trying to pin down the massive noise floor there. We used directional antenna outside of shelter in an attempt to get an idea where it was originating. The problem overwhelmed the equipment so all I can report is the site has a real high noise floor, we already knew that. We are going to take another stab at it in the future with a different game plan. 
> 
> 73,
> Bob N3PPH
> 
> ------ Original Message ------
> From: "Shawn Donley" <n3ae at comcast.net>
> To: "Calvert Amateur Radio Association - K3CAL" <k3cal at mailman.qth.net>; "ARES Reflector" <calv-ares at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: 7/6/2020 2:47:26 PM
> Subject: Re: [K3CAL] [CALV-AUXCOMM] Monday night net
> 
>> Jim,
>> 
>> The 2M repeater is working at Mt Hope but currently without the ARCOM controller, just the built-in controller in the DR-1X. And yes, the RF environment at Mt Hope is problematic. Measured high noise floor and occasional very large noise floor increases around 2M from sources yet to be identified, but likely intermod products between two or more other emitters on the tower.
>> 
>> OK....here comes a long winded response to your question on antenna wire. 
>> 
>> Regarding best wire for antennas, seems there are varying opinions. I think a lot depends upon what forces the wire is dealing with. For pure tensile strength, Copperweld (copper-plated steel) is the strongest. But hard to find good wire that has a thicker copper coating.  A lot of the stuff I've seen has very little copper.  Plus it's a pain the neck to work with. Kinda like a spring that wants to roll itself back up and kink. A nick in the copper and the steel gets exposed, rusts and down comes the antenna. The other consideration is bending fatigue. If the antenna wire is going to bend frequently due to the wind or a tree branch pushing into it in the wind, metal fatigue can eventually break the wire. I had this happen a few months ago to 7 strand hard drawn copper at a center insulator. It was one of those ladder-lock insulators for window line and in winds the insulator and the ladder line would flutter a bit. Eventually broke one wire a few inches off the center insulator. Not sure there's any perfect wire. Some recent discussion at TowerTalk on the subject.
>> 
>> http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/Towertalk/2020-06/msg00215.html 
>> 
>> 
>> At another QTH I once used a 130 ft long wire from the house roof peak to a mast on the detached garage.  Used a L-network tuner that was mounted in the attic and controlled by motors.  It worked pretty well, but long wire end fed antennas are very unbalanced so everything metallic in the vicinity becomes part of the antenna.  Sometimes this can cause problems with RFI. 
>> 
>> Seems over the last few years there have been a lot of new end-fed antenna products that use a 9:1 unun at the feed point to tame the high impedance.  One example are the end feds at https://myantennas.com/wp/product-category/antennas/ that were reviewed in the March 2016 QST.   But I bet you can build one for a lot less than what these guys want.  The March 2019 QST has an article on building a 9:1 unun using available parts. 
>> 
>> And then there's a somewhat different solution in the attached old QST article.  Maybe it also brings earthworms to the surface for fishing. 
>> 
>> Shawn 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>> On 07/06/2020 12:44 PM James Tetlow < k3uga at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Is the 2 meter repeater working normal for Mt. Hope or is there lots of noise up there?
>>>> I did have to put on tone squelch on my receiver due to PA vhf traffic very high.
>>>> 
>>>> Another question If anyone tried it, I was thinking of using 22 strand #8 awg (not the normal 7 strand ) because it is more flexible and may not be as breakable from tree to tree with fixed on on tree and milk jug weight with pulley on the other tree. Thinking center fed, like some antennas yo can purchase, but heavy duty.
>>>> Was also thinking of end fed random length with outside tuner and grounded in place with ground rod, no radials this would have to slope say 40-45deg and might get 65/66ft length.
>>>> Thanks.
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from my iPad,
>>>> Best Regards,
>>>> Jim Tetlow
>>>> 
>>>> On Jul 6, 2020, at 10:32, W. Hackett < n3xmz.md at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Morning folks,
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> We will be hosting a Zoom Meeting to coincide with Monday night Net @ 7:30
>>>> pm
>>>> Check in either one or the other or both. Just make sure to turn your
>>>> speakers down when you check in the net via radio to eliminate FeedBack.
>>>> 
>>>> As usual open to all hams on the radio and non hams via zoom...
>>>> 
>>>> Click the blue link Below to sail away...
>>>> 
>>>> Bill H
>>>> President CARA Inc.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Bill N3XMZ is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
>>>> 
>>>> Topic: CARA Inc Monday night net
>>>> Time: Jul 6, 2020 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
>>>> 
>>>> Join Zoom Meeting
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