Wednesday, May 24, 2023
It took me 2-1/2 months, but I finally raised my new multi-band doublet antenna yesterday. I have had the supplies hanging around since the few days after the antenna went down in early March … I had it assembled several weeks ago.
Three weeks ago, I was ready to raise it. I had carefully preserved my support rope location with plans to use the same support for the new antenna. What I didn’t plan on was that my knot that tied the support rope with the small nylon string would slip off the end of the support rope.
I was raising the antenna and suddenly felt slack — and saw the support rope fall from the top of the damn tree. ARGH!
It was all for the best because my new support location is over a limb that’s on the “front” of the tree, and not on the back side. It placed the apex of the inverted vee away from the main trunk of the tree, and actually gave me better sight lines for each leg.
Rather than try to pull the new feedline up to the shack yesterday, I simply spliced it into the existing feedline to temporarily get it on the air. The problem with bringing the feedline through the window is that I have to move the shack desk to get to the window — and that’s going to take time.
As it is, the antenna works well and receives great. I heard some VKs and ZLz via grey line propagation on 10 meters last night, as well as a number of Texas stations and the ever-present K5AB beacon.
The original end points for the inverted vee worked just fine with the new antenna. It shouldn’t be a surprise, as it used two 75-foot lengths of Tandy antenna wire. I basically bought a 150 foot piece of hard drawn copper wire and cut it in half.
Anyway, the antenna is up and working, and that’s about the best news I’ve had to share in what seems like a very long time. I think I’m going to have to go to the shack earlier to check on 10 meters. I think if I get on 10 meters earlier, I may have better propagation for those VKs and ZLs.
It was great to check in on my Georgia CW net for the first time in ages. Danny, the NCS, noted he was glad to see me again. I was thankful that my brain still retained my ability to copy CW at 15 wpm, lol.
That’s it for now, more to come. See you on the bands.
73 es CUL …. de KY4Z …. SK …. SK ….. (dit dit) …