User:TheAnarcat: Difference between revisions
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== New quad antenna project == | == New quad antenna project == | ||
[ | I am working on building a new antenna, pictured right. It is based on [http://www.hamuniverse.com/n1uue2el1011quad.html this design], which uses a mix of PVC pipes and fiberglass rods, except I adapt it to a 20m antenna and replace the PVC with aluminium for solidity. It should be possible to take the antenna apart and rebuild it if necessary. | ||
=== Parts list === | |||
[[File:Quad-sketch0001.jpg|400px|thumb|right|A sketch of my antenna]] | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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|colspan="6"|Nothing! Just waiting for parts to be shipped now. :) | |colspan="6"|Nothing! Just waiting for parts to be shipped now. :) | ||
|} | |} | ||
Total planned price: ~373.77$ | |||
Total planned weight: ~25lbs? - not including 180lbs of sandbags, the pole and tripod... | |||
=== Notes === | |||
* Gauge: 10-16 AWG is okay (see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge AWG], that is 1.2-2.5mm or 1/10" - 1/20"), and can be insulated, according to [http://n6ach.com/calc/quad.html this page] | |||
* Using welding wire is a good idea, as the [http://www.qsl.net/w3df/quad2/quad.html lightning bolt quad] uses | |||
* I was suggested [http://www.dubo.qc.ca/ Dubo] for electric supplies | |||
=== Current blocker(s) === | |||
None - waiting for parts to be shipped. | |||
=== Discarded approaches === | |||
Those parts were considered during the design phase but were discarded for various reasons. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|+ | |+ | ||
! Part || Amount || Where || Price || Notes | ! Part || Amount || Where || Price || Notes | ||
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|} | |} | ||
I had a lot of problems finding proper parts (pipes, raw materials like wiring and so on) in Montreal, which made building the antenna quite tricky, as a lot of things needed to be ordered online. | |||
= Références = | = Références = |
Revision as of 21:04, 10 May 2011
I am anarcat and i hope i'm not screwing things up here too much. :)
I just passed my basic qualitification in Canada, with honors (so I can operate HF), yay! I am now AKA VA2ANK. -- TheAnarcat 21:50, 10 October 2010 (CDT)
My rig
- Transceiver:
- Yaesu FT-100D - 499$ on ebay - actual price: ~570$ (to be verified)
- Antennas and gizmos:
- MFJ-941E - antenna tuner and switch 155$ at radioworld
- MAP-G5RV 1/2 - G5RV 50' dipole antenna (10-40m) 85$ at radioworld
J146/440 - dual band VHF/UHF antenna (2m-70cm) 40$ at radioworld/!\ backorder- 100' of RG8 coax cabling 65$ at radioworld
MFJ-260C - 300W dummy load 0-150Mhz dry 50$ at radiowrodlbuilt into the tuner now- 3 PL259 connectors 4$ at radioworld
- Total, incl. shipping: 452.35$
- Ferrites: ~40$ + 24$ customs fees
- A shitload of PL259 connectors, usually around 2$ each
- Documentation:
- Canadian Amateur Radio Basic Qualification Study Guide: 40$
- The RAC Operating Manual: 42$ (note: i didn't find this one really useful)
- ARRL Handbook 2011, Softcover: 49.95$USD
- ARRL Antenna Book: 44.95$USD
- Total rig cost so far: 1242.60$ (not counting the quad project below)
I uploaded a few photos in this album.
New quad antenna project
I am working on building a new antenna, pictured right. It is based on this design, which uses a mix of PVC pipes and fiberglass rods, except I adapt it to a 20m antenna and replace the PVC with aluminium for solidity. It should be possible to take the antenna apart and rebuild it if necessary.
Parts list
Mast | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part | Amount | Where | Weight | Price | Notes |
tripod | 1 | addison | ? | 45.56$ | ~2' x 2' |
3m steel pole | 1 | downstairs | ? | 0$ | to connect the boom and tripod, 1-1¼" |
sandbags | 3 | home depot | 30kg ea. | 10.76$ | one per leg |
plywood | 3'x4' | home depot? | ? | 0$ | |
Antenna and accessories | |||||
Part | Amount | Where | Weight | Price | Notes |
hose clamps | 8 | home depot | ~0 | 0$ | unit price ~2$ - found some |
8"x½" plastic tube | 1 | home depot | ~0 | 0$ | for spreader/wire attachment - found some |
Antenna (parts in shipping) | |||||
Part | Amount | Where | Weight | Price | Notes |
15' 1¼" fiberglass | 8 | mgs4u.com (type 1) | 17.6lbs | ~160$ - actual: 255$CAD (!!) | 4.4lbs ea, unit price 19.80$ |
U clamps and bolts | 4 | ~0 | 0$ | included in the beam/pole fitting | |
boom/pole plate | 1 | Rick Adams | ? | 45$ + 30$ shipping | need to drill holes, includes reinforcement pole |
spider | 2 | Rick Adams | 2.3lbs | 70$USD | 14oz ea. 40$/ea, seems strong and sturdy, and Rick helped me through email, let's try! |
Clamps | 10-pack | dxengineering | ~0 | 14.95$ | to secure the feedline |
4m aluminium boom | 2 | DX engineering | 2.5lbs | 24.90$ | |
500' of wiring | 1 | DX engineering | N/A | 74.95$ | only parts of this will be used (120' to be more precise) |
Antenna (parts to order) | |||||
Nothing! Just waiting for parts to be shipped now. :) |
Total planned price: ~373.77$
Total planned weight: ~25lbs? - not including 180lbs of sandbags, the pole and tripod...
Notes
- Gauge: 10-16 AWG is okay (see AWG, that is 1.2-2.5mm or 1/10" - 1/20"), and can be insulated, according to this page
- Using welding wire is a good idea, as the lightning bolt quad uses
- I was suggested Dubo for electric supplies
Current blocker(s)
None - waiting for parts to be shipped.
Discarded approaches
Those parts were considered during the design phase but were discarded for various reasons.
Part | Amount | Where | Price | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
welding wire aluminium | 270' spool | canadian tire? | ? | example: Aluminium 5356 MIG alloy - too hard to find |
1 | home depot | ? | according to Rick, this could create interference | |
2 | creativeshelters.com | 3.08$ | couldn't order, they don't accept canadian zip codes, and shipping is 30$ anyways, and I don't trust PVC | |
8 | home depot | ~5$ | we'll use tie-wraps instead for spreader/wire attachment | |
4 | home depot | ? | PVC pipes are too flexible to hold properly, we need fiberglass | |
44.4m | ??? | 29.32$ (addison?) 48.64$ pour 2x12 22m (dubo) |
I had a lot of problems finding proper parts (pipes, raw materials like wiring and so on) in Montreal, which made building the antenna quite tricky, as a lot of things needed to be ordered online.
Références
Je collecte ici des bons sites au sujet du ham radio.
- Manuals, courses
- Good overview
- Emergencyradio.ca online course
- tech manual
- HAM Radio primer - un peu vieux (14 ans!) dit que son kit a coûté 1000$
- Hardware
- hardware guide - motorola
- Exams
- Clubs
- Montreal Amateur Radio Club - Dorval est. 1932, mostly english and west-island-ish
- Rive sud
- Radio Amateur Canada
- Other documentation
- IRLP - Internet Radio Linking Project - using the internet to link stations
- Call sign lookup
- Available call signs in Canada
- US Ham bands
- Wikipedia:Family_Radio_Service - intéressant pour commencer, comme le CB mais plus puissant et sans interférence, pas cher, j'ai acheté un cobra FRS
Software
This needs to be merged into Software
- the oracles
- http://packages.debian.org/gpredict
- http://packages.debian.org/minimuf - allows you to compute the WikiPedia:MUF depending on salar activity and so on, but has an unusuable interface (you need to enter a series of digits... how about a GUI?!)
- http://packages.debian.org/gcb - calculates the right angle for your antenna
- http://packages.debian.org/xplanet - can show azimuthal projections of the earth on your background, screensaver or window - I use this in myxsession:
xplanet -latitude 45.5 -longitude -73.66 -wait 60 -label -projection azimuthal -fork -radius 90
- testing tools
- http://packages.debian.org/ibp - very useful for training to receive distant comms: show you which beacon is active when, with a map
ibp FN35EM
- packet:
- http://packages.debian.org/gmfsk - for packet radio
- http://packages.debian.org/fldigi - also looks interesting and fairly complete, not tested
- http://packages.debian.org/gpsk31, DebianPackage:linpsk, DebianPackage:phaseshift - same?
- http://packages.debian.org/fbb - mailboxes?
- to be tested:
- dismissed:
- http://packages.debian.org/predict and http://packages.debian.org/predict-gsat - console only, doesn't bring much the gorgeous visuals of DebianPackage:gpredict
... others to follow, there's a whole hamradio section in debian.
Stuff to buy next
- Another HF radio?
- Call those guys?