The mast--a 10-foot length of galvanized conduit--is mounted to the 4x4 railing corner post of the landing, which is just under 10 feet above the ground. I attached it with two large screw-type hose clamps, one at the top and one at the bottom of the post. It seems secure and has held up well, so far, in the winds that are common here. The cable runs through a window on the far side of the building; I used an MFJ window pass-through.
My ham shack is located on the upper floor of a detached garage to the rear of our house. My rig consists of a Yaesu FT-857D HF/6m/2m/70cm transceiver, along with an MF-4125 switching power supply and an LDG Z-11 Pro II antenna tuner. Photos of the inside of the shack to come soon (hopefully).
The antenna is a KB9VBR J-Pole, tuned for the 2-meter band (VHF); it also works well on the 70-cm band (UHF). I'm still researching HF antennas for those long-distance (DX) contacts.
The two satellite TV dishes are inactive.
Hi Steve the J-Pole looks good, well done. Do you have space for a HF dipole antenna? As a start point to get you on HF, the OCF dipole is a good option. I use a homebrew 40m OCF fed with a 4:1 balun. The 40m OCF antenna is resonant on 7, 14, 28 and 50 MHz. If you have space for an 80m version you can add 3.5 MHz to the list.
ReplyDelete73, Andrew VK1AD
Thanks for the compliment and suggestions. I'm not sure a dipole is an option at my current residence, based on the fact that we're renting and also the layout of our backyard. The YL may also take issue with it in this particular yard. I'm afraid some sort of vertical may be the best option for my current situation. I have not yet committed one way or the other yet, though.
DeleteOkay, there are plenty of commercial verticals for radio amateurs. A good vertical with an effective ground will offer a lower angle of radiation, which will help with your interest in working Dx. The current issue for all radio amateurs is the solar minimum as we approach the period of least solar activity.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the advice, Andrew!
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