[PPRAANet] PPRAANet Digest, Vol 287, Issue 1

Wed Sep 27 16:09:03 EDT 2023

I heard on last weeks 2meter net that there is a weekly breakfast meeting. I didn’t write down the location or time. Can someone help me. Thanks

Dan Edwards
daneprod.com
408-398-9625 cell

> On Sep 23, 2023, at 9:24 AM, ppraanet-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
> 
>   1. Digital antennas for  Denver Colorado (Benedict)
>   2. amp repair? (pburns001 at gmail.com)
>   3. Re: Ham Radio Tech: Ground Screens?the ?Magic Carpet??
>      (John Bloodgood)
>   4. Eclipse Viiewing Event (John Wishart)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2023 10:56:42 -0600
> From: Benedict <RCBenedict1545 at yahoo.com>
> To: PPRAANet at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [PPRAANet] Digital antennas for  Denver Colorado
> Message-ID: <D91794BE-14C4-4708-9D99-4D1AAE7C333B at yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> Almost all Denver TV stations are on Lookout Mt so point the antenna that way. 
> Ray
> W8LYJ
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2023 13:06:53 -0600
> From: <pburns001 at gmail.com>
> To: "'PPRAA'" <ppraanet at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: [PPRAANet] amp repair?
> Message-ID: <[email protected]>
> Content-Type: text/plain;    charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Can anyone recommend someone locally or in Denver who can work on
> amplifiers?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Phil KF0FOE
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2023 01:36:31 +0000
> From: John Bloodgood <johnbloodgood at hotmail.com>
> To: Derek Brown <DBrown719 at outlook.com>, "PPRAANet at mailman.qth.net"
>    <ppraanet at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [PPRAANet] Ham Radio Tech: Ground Screens?the ?Magic
>    Carpet??
> Message-ID:
>    <DM4PR12MB634978DFB7507DF57CDBB809A5F5A at DM4PR12MB6349.namprd12.prod.outlook.com>
>    
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
> 
> I have used mesh/screen before. It can work really well.
> 
> Ward addresses one of the most common misperceptions about radials for verticals ? that they have to be resonant or cut for a certain band. I have seen many people make four radials four 80 meters, four for 40 meters, four more for 20 meters, and four more at 10 meters.  There is no need to do this.  Generally, just make them ? wavelength of the lowest frequency you intend to operate on.  If you can?t make them that long, then make them as long as you can.
> 
> Ward says you need at least 16 radials? well, 16 is about where you hit a level of diminishing returns for verticals on 80 meters and higher frequency bands.  If you can only do 12, you will be fine.  I would say 8 is about as low as you want to go, though I have used 4 quite successfully.
> 
> To reduce tangling of radials, I have a small aluminum sheet metal plate with 5 thumbscrews & wingnuts. My radials are in groups of 4 crimped to a terminal lug ? breaking into small groups means less tangling and you can ?comb? it out easily with your fingers. I have 4 such groups for 16 radials. The wire is a very flexible automotive wire and does not have to be very heavy gauge ? the current per radial will be pretty low for 100 Watt rigs. The 5th thumbscrew & wingnut is for feed point attachment to the coax.
> 
> A helper to get the radials correct is I have a piece of paracord that is cut to the correct distance between the ends of the radial wires.  For example, if your radials are 35 ft long for 40 meters, the spread will be about 13 ft 8 in.  Having a piece of paracord or wire that length allows me to easily and quickly get the radials pretty evenly spread.
> 
> When using mesh, a couple things to keep in mind.  First, sharp points. There can be a lot of little pointy things to stab, slash and tear your skin and clothing. You probably want to wear leather work gloves.  The other then is degrees of coverage. Let?s say you have a 2 ft wide roll of wire fencing and you lay it out in a big X.  That will leave about a 47 ft gap out at the ends of a 35 ft long radial.  That has some effect on the radiation pattern. It may not make a huge difference , but the more degrees of coverage you can get, the more even the pattern will be. Like regular wire radials, no need to go bonkers though, 4 directions will work well, 8 may work better.  What the point of diminishing returns is, I can?t say ? it may be 4, it may be 8, Ward indicates around 6.  Again, it doesn?t have to be very heavy gauge stuff.  I haven?t played with the size of the grid to see if 1/4 inch, 1 inch, 2 inch, or 4 inch grid spacing has any noticeable effect.
> 
> Just my personal observations, your mileage may vary.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> John Bloodgood, KD0SFY
> 
> From: Derek Brown<mailto:DBrown719 at outlook.com>
> Sent: Friday, September 15, 2023 8:53 AM
> To: PPRAANet at mailman.qth.net<mailto:ppraanet at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: [PPRAANet] Ham Radio Tech: Ground Screens?the ?Magic Carpet??
> 
> Good article / easily digestible. I've recently come across folks doing this just below the surface on permanent installs as well. On a normal POTA I'm going to still use my deployable wire radial field. If I were camping somewhere for a week or back yard experimenting I'd like to try this.
> 
> https://www.onallbands.com/ham-radio-tech-ground-screens-the-magic-carpet/
> 
> Derek / K0ATV
> 
> 
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2023 09:22:47 -0600
> From: John Wishart <jrwishart at gmail.com>
> To: ppraanet ppraanet <ppraanet at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: [PPRAANet] Eclipse Viiewing Event
> Message-ID:
>    <CACeYbv8NFLTPhYAB3qevsJ60bif4KC-zTT5O4ZT2b-=DBPHKwA at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> 
> There will be an eclipse on October 14th.  There is an interesting
> opportunity for Hams to do some science experiments concerning
> propagation.  Here are the details. Kami
> <https://web.kamihq.com/web/viewer.html?state=%7B%22ids%22%3A%5B%221axD2WTEFtLT6gHCZpNSoo4ii5wKVJVgV%22%5D%2C%22action%22%3A%22open%22%7D&kami_user_id=40746202>
> 
> Kami
> 
> <https://web.kamihq.com/web/viewer.html?state=%7B%22ids%22%3A%5B%221axD2WTEFtLT6gHCZpNSoo4ii5wKVJVgV%22%5D%2C%22action%22%3A%22open%22%7D&kami_user_id=40746202>
> 
> *New member Dara Gardner KF0NIX is helping sponsor a community Eclipse
> Viewing event on October 14, and would love a table with some hams showing
> their stuff!  Portable stations, Morse Code set-ups, anything would be
> appreciated to help engage the public, and we could help them understand
> the connection between eclipses and ham radio.  This is sponsored by
> Harrison District 2, and a large, diverse crowd is expected.
> Email dgardner at hsd2.org <dgardner at hsd2.org> as soon as possible to express
> your interest and availability!*
> 
> Location is:
> 
> Panorama Park, 4540 Fenton Road CS. Panorama Park ? 4540 Fenton Rd,
> Colorado Springs, CO 80916 <https://maps.app.goo.gl/1JcEFgt8Q4G3f8dLA>
> 
> 
> <https://maps.app.goo.gl/1JcEFgt8Q4G3f8dLA>
> Time is 9:30 to 12:30.
> 
> 
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> End of PPRAANet Digest, Vol 287, Issue 1
> ****************************************