... vertical antenna pace quickens

GOD is good all the time. Some of us believe and some of us don't, but it is a personal thing and I am not getting into your business. On the other hand I can afford to share my business as by doing so it may help someone to better find their way, even if it is only one, I have won. Humbly, I believe that I am making headway, but even if I am not, doing this keeps me out of trouble, and trust me, trouble is running wild in these days. You see them "petite jeune filles", they are trouble, not just in Arima, but all over. Anyway, I have my ham radio for entertainment and more importantly, to keep me focused. When seniors loose focus, it can be the beginning of the end, so, all you seniors and prospective seniors, [and youths don't work, if you live you will arrive too] don't ever loose it, find something to do and stay with it, forever, stay focused, and stop watching the girls suntanning on the beach ...

Yesterday one of my ham radio buddies dropped by. We have been talking a lot about our on going vertical dipole antenna projects. This has been a great motivator for me and has seen the 1/8 wave 40-meter top and bottom loaded vertical dipole antenna rebuilt, relocated and in service in record time, by my standards, since we had unusual Caribbean weather to contend with. It is known that Caribbean folks do not usually like rain or high winds, but these days the rain is most welcome as it washes away the Montserrat volcanic ash, and we can appreciate another few days of clear sky and the scenic beauty of St Christopher, the Cradle of the Caribbean.

The second vertical is also installed and being tuned. It is a 31-foot vertical for 40-meters with top and bottom loading. I think this is the ultimate in a top and bottom loaded vertical. I am now working on the matching to get SWR below 1.6 to 1. I will see if my Autek analyzer can help any, and I suspect that I may have to use a stub, thanks to the ON4UN software on my win98 laptop. I swear by stubs from the days of corner fed delta loops. Ever day now I get closer to convincing myself that the Array Solutions AIM 4170 is an essential toy. Yes a toy, if you see it as a tool, you need to go see your shrink. I don't know if I am loosing it but I think I would select this toy over a fully loaded Flex-3000, but that's me.

So we were talking antenna matching last evening, and I pulled my clipboard to refer to the matching systems that Cebik [sk] mentioned in his "verticals without vertigo" article. On the clip I re-discovered my notes for the stacked vertical antenna project. Blog followers will recall that this vertical stacking antenna project was suspended because I could not engineer a device that would safely support two vertical aluminum tubings in series [butt ended] while insulated from each other. Well thanks to another ham radio buddy I now have a solution to the antenna center support and insulation problem, and I win again, because I had said that the solution would have to be innovative and creative.

So the stacked vertical antenna project is now active. I expect that all hams who are not serious, but paranoid about vertical antennas have a copy of the amateur radio vertical antenna handbook by capt Paul Lee. I did not know that a second edition existed until now, so I will check eBay later. Anyhow, chapter one [specifically page 13 to 15] in my edition of this vertical antenna handbook sets the stage for my vertical antenna stacking project, but I want to use some measure of top and bottom loading, and I am already seeing light at the end of this tunnel.

Let me back up to the latest antenna installations, the 18-foot and 31-foot top and bottom loaded verticals. There is a significant difference listening on the verticals. The 31-foot antenna is clearly "S" units stronger into the USA, while the 18-foot is better into the Caribbean, in the mornings. At sunset both antenna seem to be the same into Italy and Germany. In the end I may stay with the 31-foot and install an NVIS antenna for the Caribbean brothers. Today work continues on matching the 31-footer and identify components for the stacked antenna project.

On final, the antenna feed lines are now tuned to even multiples of 1/2 wave and the solenoid balun is wound on the end of the coax feed line. If time permit the 80-meter antenna feed line will be pruned and tuned today, and I could have a ball tonight on 3.798 MHz. It is a nice feeling to get RS59+ from Europe, sometimes even before sunset, and I could do with the ego boost. I have not received my replacement camera batteries yet, but I will try "a thing" today, to have some pictures here later, and maybe in a slide show on the side panel.

I got some more off blog and user group emails, and thank you for sharing your vertical antenna ideas and allowing me to make suggestions. It works for me and I hope that you can adapt it to work for you too.

Have a great ham radio day.