[MRCA] September 23 Long Range Reconnaissance Communication OpsatMRCA Meet

[Gene Smar]

Dale:

      Let me suggest another configuration for the counterpoise wires: 
parallel to the dipole element itself.  Essentially, this would make it look 
like a vertically-pointed 2-element Yagi - sort of.  And now that I'm 
thinking of it a bit more, the parallel wire might have to be 1/2 WL + 5% to 
make it a true Yagi reflector.  We might even want to try this on 60M, too.

     I've seen these sorts of configurations mentioned in the Ham on-line 
literature.  Some even suggest raising the reflector wire off the earth by 6 
inches or so using plastic tent pegs or similar.  Should be fun.  I've 
always wanted to try something like this myself but never got a round tuit.

73 de
Gene Smar  AD3F


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Radio Station KW1I" <kw1i at earthlink.net>
To: <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2011 2:48 PM
Subject: Re: [MRCA] September 23 Long Range Reconnaissance Communication 
OpsatMRCA Meet


For the Long Rang Reconnaissance Comm Ops I am planning to erect a low 
dipole for 75 meters and request signal reports with and without a 
counterpoise.  The counterpoise will be four 60 ft wires and two 33 ft wires 
symmetrically oriented in a radial pattern centered on the middle of the 
dipole.  The counterpoise will be laid out on the lawn at least a half wave 
from the antenna for baseline tests.  Three team members will then pull the 
counterpoise by three of the wires under the antenna, space them radially, 
and then cross over to the other three wires and space them radially.  With 
some initial practice this should take less than 30 seconds.  The experiment 
will be repeated to offset short term propagation variations.  If reports 
clearly indicate improvement I will try the experiment with only two 60 ft 
wires laid under the antenna.

Can't wait!

Dale
KW1I


From: "Radio Station KW1I" <kw1i at earthlink.net>
To: <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2011 10:33 PM
Subject: [MRCA] September 23 Long Range Reconnaissance Communication Ops 
atMRCA Meet


Over the years our long range reconnaissance comm event has changed. In the 
early years it was a group visit to Big Pocono State Park ( 17 road miles, 
10 air miles) to exercise various AM field sets and various antennas 
principally to get a signal report from the MRCA base station at the West 
End Fairgrounds. In the last few years we have divided our growing group 
into comm teams and added Beltzville State Park (17 road miles, 12 air 
miles), Jacobsburg State Park (17 road miles, 11 air miles) and most 
recently Minzi Lake Park (22 road miles, 12 air miles). We still have the 
opportunity to try our AM, SSB, CW and FM rigs on HF and VHF back to base, 
and, in addition, to the other team locations with various distances and 
terrain in between. In recent years we have attempted some “scientific 
inquiry” with signal comparisons with vertical and horizontal antennas and 
the use of Near Vertical Incidence Skywave propagation. Let's continue this 
experimental trend this year.

Some possible areas for a comm team experiment:

. Comparison of a stock AS-2259 antenna to one modified to amateur frequency 
wire lengths

. Comparison of a stock AS-2259 antenna to a home brew AS-2259 
configuration, or a simple low dipole, or another commercial antenna.

. Repeat of an NVIS experiment from a couple years ago where signals were 
compared using a dipole whose height could be rapidly changed.

. Comparison of various mobile antennas, e.g. screwdriver, bug-catcher, 
auto-tuned whip. etc.

. Comparison of a whip antenna in vertical position to the same one tilted 
at various angles

. Compare operation of similarly configured half wave antennas, one end fed 
and the other center fed.

. Comparison of a low dipole with and without a counterpoise

I know there are MRCA Meet attendees interested in some of these 
experimental areas. Make your interest known by posting on the MRCA 
reflector. You may get some comments, ideas and volunteers. You may have all 
the gear necessary for an experiment. If not, other interested comm team 
members may be able to bring an extra antenna, supports, coax, tuners and 
switches to assemble an experiment and configure it for rapid signal report 
comparisons.

The MRCA base station at the West End Fairgrounds will be equipped with a 
Stoddardt Field Strength Meter this year so that signal strength differences 
can be measured fairly accurately in db.

______________________________________________________________
MRCA mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/mrca
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:MRCA at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html