[LeArc] 440 Repeater

Sun, 31 Aug 2003 13:31:53 -0500

The feedline and antenna are fine on the .06 machine.  The SWR is the same
as it has been for years.   The antenna is a commercial folded dipole
antenna.  If I remember correctly it is a sinclair just like the original
that now is the back up antenna on WIUMs tower.

Rich
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary L Adams" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2003 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: [LeArc] 440 Repeater

> See http://www.qsl.net/learc/ for club information.
>
> Membership Dues are due.
>
>
> Next club meeting July 8 at 7:00 PM.
>
> Please join us on Sunday Evenings for the
> Lamoine Emergency ARC Sunday Evening Net.
> Net time is 8:00 PM local time.
>
>
> Jay:
>
> I have not noticed any signal deterioration of the 06 signal in Canton.
> Some simple test equipment could be used at the 06 site to measure SWR,
> return loss, Z,etc.  I would think if the SWR looks good and the signal
> strength out a ways seems normal, the feedline and ant are ok.  Heliax
> has a very long life.  It is true lightning could blow a hole in the
> cable with a direct hit, but the signal strength would go down and the
> SWR would go up, especially after a rain.  The same is true of the
> commercial Sinclair ant.  They either work or they don't.  If lightning
> had damaged the Sinclair, the SWR and signal strength would change
> considerably.  Perhaps in this case, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
>
> My observation over the years is lightning comes in on the phone lines
> and AC power lines more that it comes down the feedline from the ant.
> Polyphasers do a very good job protecting equipment from anything coming
> down the feedline.  A good UPS should have surge protection built in and
> protect equipment from a strike on the AC line. Polyphaser, Transtector,
> and I hate to admit it but even a Radio Shack device (43-111 I think it
> is) will give phone line protection.  Most of the protection equipment
> works only if there is a good ground on the device.  Most surge and spike
> protection equipment for AC and phone lines plugs into a U ground AC
> plug.  If the plug does not have a good ground, the surge/spike device
> will not work.  As a friend of mine learned after 4 of his rptrs went
> down, even a fairly new commercial building often does not have an
> adequate AC service ground.  Naturally, if the service ground it poor,
> the best surge/spike protector won't work.
>
>
> Gary
> On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 23:06:50 +0000 Jay Hainline <[email protected]>
> writes:
> > See http://www.qsl.net/learc/ for club information.
> >
> > Membership Dues are due.
> >
> >
> > Next club meeting July 8 at 7:00 PM.
> >
> > Please join us on Sunday Evenings for the
> > Lamoine Emergency ARC Sunday Evening Net.
> > Net time is 8:00 PM local time.
> >
> >
> > I concur Gary. We need to be able to maintain what we have. We
> > probably need
> > to replace the hard line and antenna on the .06 machine for that
> > matter as
> > it has been up for several years now and probably has had numerous
> > lightning
> > strikes over the years. That will be a substantial price that the
> > club
> > probably cannot afford. We need to look more deeply into what we can
> > do and
> > discuss it at the next club meeting.
> >
> > 73 Jay
> >
> > Jay Hainline  KA9CFD  EN40om
> > Colchester, IL
> > [email protected]
> > http://www.qsl.net/learc
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [email protected]
> > [mailto:[email protected]] On
> > Behalf Of Gary L Adams
> > Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 16:52
> > To: [email protected]
> > Subject: Re: [LeArc] 440 Repeater
> >
> >
> > See http://www.qsl.net/learc/ for club information.
> >
> > Membership Dues are due.
> >
> >
> > Next club meeting July 8 at 7:00 PM.
> >
> > Please join us on Sunday Evenings for the
> > Lamoine Emergency ARC Sunday Evening Net.
> > Net time is 8:00 PM local time.
> >
> >
> > Jay:
> >
> >
> > Glad someone in the Macomb area has realized the 444.300 machine has
> > a
> > problem.  The signal has gone down when it rains for years, but the
> > problem
> > is even worse now than it was.
> >
> > I realize one of the problems of old age is "I remember when...."
> > The 70cm
> > machine was put in as a back up for the 06.  The 300 is there, paid
> > for, and
> > could work well if the ant and/or feedline was any good.
> > Instead for talking about getting another 06 machine, a new site, or
> > another
> > freq, which I doubt is possible any more on 2M, why not solve the
> > problem
> > with the 444.300?  Wouldn't that be easier and cheaper?  A new ant
> > doesn't
> > mean a Diamond, Comet, or a Ringo!  At that height, something
> > substantial
> > and bullet proof is needed.  Folded dipoles seem to be less subject
> > to
> > lightning than other types of ant.  Something like a Decibel
> > Products DB420
> > is an excellent antenna.
> >
> > Since the 300 ant is not as high, the rptr runs less power, and the
> > freq is
> > higher, the coverage is not going to be as great as the 06, but it
> > should
> > cover the county except for the low places, such as a river bottom.
> >
> >
> >
> > Gary, N9GA
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________
> > The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf
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> >
> > Lamoine Emergency Amateur Radio Club
> >
> >     W9SSP  - 147.060 (103.5 tone)
> >
> >           WB9TEA - 444.300
> >
> > Meetings on the second Tuesday of the month.
> > 7:00 PM at the American Red Cross Building in Macomb.
> >
> > Next meeting will be December 10, 2002.
> >
> > Hope to see you there.
> >
> >
> > LeArc mailing list
> > [email protected] http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/learc
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > Lamoine Emergency Amateur Radio Club
> >
> >     W9SSP  - 147.060 (103.5 tone)
> >
> >           WB9TEA - 444.300
> >
> > Meetings on the second Tuesday of the month.
> > 7:00 PM at the American Red Cross Building in Macomb.
> >
> > Next meeting will be December 10, 2002.
> >
> > Hope to see you there.
> >
> >
> > LeArc mailing list
> > [email protected]
> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/learc
> >
> >
>
> ________________________________________________________________
> The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand!
> Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER!
> Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!
> _______________________________________________
>
> Lamoine Emergency Amateur Radio Club
>
>     W9SSP  - 147.060 (103.5 tone)
>
>           WB9TEA - 444.300
>
> Meetings on the second Tuesday of the month.
> 7:00 PM at the American Red Cross Building in Macomb.
>
> Next meeting will be December 10, 2002.
>
> Hope to see you there.
>
>
> LeArc mailing list
> [email protected]
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/learc
>