Well, we decided it’s finally time for my to have my own space, so down to the basement I go. I’m building a 12′ x 14′ office space that should provide plenty of space for my “stuff.”
Author: Bryan Bibeau
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2013 North American Summits on the Air Weekend
September 7th & 8th is the annual SOTA Activity Weekend
North America SOTA Activity Weekend is a casual event involving tiny battery-powered radios on mountain summits. It is not a contest but is intended to introduce “Summits on the Air” to newcomers with home stations who try to work summit operators during one or two days. There are no rules regarding power levels, modes or number of bands worked, but please be courteous when more than one station is trying to talk to a SOTA operator on a summit. The SOTA operators have just climbed mountains as high as 14,000 feet; they use low power; and they don’t receive on split frequencies.
Check SOTAWATCH.org to spot who is on which mountain. Summits are numbered, and you can hover your cursor over the number to see the name and point value for each summit. Expect that website to show activity near 7.032, 7.185, 10.110, 14.342, 18.095, 18.155, 21.350, 24.905, 24.155, 28.420, 146.52, 446.00, and 61 Khz up from the bottom of 20, 15 and 10 meters CW. Participants are invited to collect points toward certificates and trophies offered by the eleven-year-old international SOTA group (SOTA.org.UK). As we learned in past years, this is a barrel of fun for both hill climbers and home operators. See you then.
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6m yagi first contact!
Well, first call out tonight with the homebrew 4 element yagi on 50.125ssb, success! It was only a local Fort Collins contact to Rick K0RSC, but it sounded great. I’ll continue to play around with tuning this weekend during the June VHF contest. Hopefully there will be lots of chances to make contacts.
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6 meter driven element mount
Here is the latest piece of the 6 meter yagi antenna I’m designing / building. Since my plan is to use a hairpin match, the driven element needs to be isolated from the boom. I used ABS 1″ diameter plastic rod, and epoxied 1/2″ diameter x 1″ long pieces of aluminum rod, which had already been drilled and tapped for 1/4-20 whips. The notch had to be deeper to match the offset on my reflector and driven element mounts, as shown.
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6m yagi part 2
Tonight I mocked up the new antenna. I am using some leftover parts for the tripod/mast. I turned a simple bushing to mount the mast to the tripod. The antenna is about 16′ high on this mast. The driven element is not finished yet. I picked up some 1″ ABS round on Friday, and will make the 1/4-20 mounts with that plastic to isolate it from the boom.
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6m portable yagi tripod
I have the upper 2 sections of a telescoping mast left over from another project, and a new surplus Bogen tripod. To fit the mast sections to my tripod, and had to turn a bushing adapter. Tonight I finished that part and tested the fit.
I will guy this setup when there is an antenna mounted. I’m hoping it will be sturdy enough to support my 10′ 6 meter yagi and my Arrow 4 element yagi at the same time.
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6 meter portable Yagi 4 Element Part 1
Getting ready for field day 2013, I decided to build my own 6m 4 element Yagi antenna. My goal is to have something that’s portable, with a bit of directional gain. If it turns out light enough, it could be useful for some of the easier SOTA activations and maybe the Colorado 14er event.
I am modeling this antenna after the Buddipole antenna system. I would have just purchased those parts, but they do add up fast, and I have my own machine shop!
Counter-sink tool
My Jet BD1331 lathe
Partially finished parts
3/4″ end mill
With Buddipole featherweight whips installed and extended
Close-up of whips installed in rotating collars. 1/4″-20 threads
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Honda Element Ham Antenna
Installation of a NMO mount in a Honda Element:
Removing the upper console. Pry out the 2 light covers, then use an 8mm nut driver to remove the bolts.
The A pillar trim pops off without any tools. The coax can be tied to the wire bundle behind the panel.
Lay a tape measure on the roof. Line up the end of the tape with the black edge of windshield. This could vary depending on your windshield. On mine I measured 9″ from this point for my 3/4″ hole, made with a step drill.
Here is a larsen 2/70 antenna installed. I am going to order something shorter that will clear the garage door.
