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All:
Al and I will be attending Field Day and will be at the Milford Amateur Radio Club (MARC, W8MRC) at Paxton-Ramsey Park just outside the 275 loop, close to Wards Corner exit. We will be using Al's "Luggable Double-Double" Magnetic Loop antenna, shown here (he doesn't like that name...):
You'll notice this version has a vacuum variable capacitor (VVC) for tuning. Also note that Al 3-D printed the mounting brackets (in gray). He even has a thumbscrew clamp on the small driven loop! Tuning is done remotely using two encoders and a NEMA 17 stepper motor with controller. While not finished yet, it looks similar to this:
You can see the controller hardware in the background. Test thus far shows it has 13dB gain over a reference dipole. Naw...just kidding. Any ML antenna is a compromise, but for many HOA dwellers, it may be the difference between making and not making contacts.
Anyway, if you'd like to see it, come to the Park this weekend. We'd love to see you there!
Jack, W8TEE Al, AC8GY
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Simply Beautiful.? Just what I need for my QTH.? Do you think the tuning cap and steppir could easily be weatherproofed?? A permanent install would be super-cool.
Jerry NY2KW
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Yes. In fact, Al is working on that right now. One method would be to move the stepper-cap board to the inside of the loop and hang it "upside down". We need to experiment a bit to see if that would affect anything to a noticeable degree. I don't know if you can see it, but the connecting parts are 3D printed and Al plans to make those files available, too. However, be forewarned they took almost a kilogram of filament and nearly 40 hours to print on Al's machine! You can also use plain PCV parts, too.
Since I want to use mine portable, I'm going to place an eye-hook at the top. That way, I can throw a rope over a limb and attach it to the eye-hook and use two tent stakes and some paracord tied to the sides to keep it from swaying. Will report how that works...if it ever stops raining.
Jack, W8TEE
On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 12:47:34 PM EDT, jsternmd <jsternmd@...> wrote:
Simply Beautiful.? Just what I need for my QTH.? Do you think the tuning cap and steppir could easily be weatherproofed?? A permanent install would be super-cool.
Jerry NY2KW
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Do you have the plans posted anywhere.?
On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 12:00 PM, jjpurdum via Groups.Io <jjpurdum@...> wrote:
Yes. In fact, Al is working on that right now. One method would be to move the stepper-cap board to the inside of the loop and hang it "upside down". We need to experiment a bit to see if that would affect anything to a noticeable degree. I don't know if you can see it, but the connecting parts are 3D printed and Al plans to make those files available, too. However, be forewarned they took almost a kilogram of filament and nearly 40 hours to print on Al's machine! You can also use plain PCV parts, too.
Since I want to use mine portable, I'm going to place an eye-hook at the top. That way, I can throw a rope over a limb and attach it to the eye-hook and use two tent stakes and some paracord tied to the sides to keep it from swaying. Will report how that works...if it ever stops raining.
Jack, W8TEE
On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 12:47:34 PM EDT, jsternmd <jsternmd@...> wrote:
Simply Beautiful.? Just what I need for my QTH.? Do you think the tuning cap and steppir could easily be weatherproofed?? A permanent install would be super-cool.
Jerry NY2KW
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Yes. It will be posted here.
Jack, W8TEE
On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 1:16:11 PM EDT, John Galway via Groups.Io <jjgalway@...> wrote:
Do you have the plans posted anywhere.?
On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 12:00 PM, jjpurdum via Groups.Io <jjpurdum@...> wrote:
Yes. In fact, Al is working on that right now. One method would be to move the stepper-cap board to the inside of the loop and hang it "upside down". We need to experiment a bit to see if that would affect anything to a noticeable degree. I don't know if you can see it, but the connecting parts are 3D printed and Al plans to make those files available, too. However, be forewarned they took almost a kilogram of filament and nearly 40 hours to print on Al's machine! You can also use plain PCV parts, too.
Since I want to use mine portable, I'm going to place an eye-hook at the top. That way, I can throw a rope over a limb and attach it to the eye-hook and use two tent stakes and some paracord tied to the sides to keep it from swaying. Will report how that works...if it ever stops raining.
Jack, W8TEE
On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 12:47:34 PM EDT, jsternmd <jsternmd@...> wrote:
Simply Beautiful.? Just what I need for my QTH.? Do you think the tuning cap and steppir could easily be weatherproofed?? A permanent install would be super-cool.
Jerry NY2KW
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RE the rain: I'm going to create a new ride sharing app and I'm calling it canoe-ber.
On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 1:00 PM jjpurdum via Groups.Io <jjpurdum= [email protected]> wrote:
Yes. In fact, Al is working on that right now. One method would be to move the stepper-cap board to the inside of the loop and hang it "upside down". We need to experiment a bit to see if that would affect anything to a noticeable degree. I don't know if you can see it, but the connecting parts are 3D printed and Al plans to make those files available, too. However, be forewarned they took almost a kilogram of filament and nearly 40 hours to print on Al's machine! You can also use plain PCV parts, too.
Since I want to use mine portable, I'm going to place an eye-hook at the top. That way, I can throw a rope over a limb and attach it to the eye-hook and use two tent stakes and some paracord tied to the sides to keep it from swaying. Will report how that works...if it ever stops raining.
Jack, W8TEE
On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 12:47:34 PM EDT, jsternmd < jsternmd@...> wrote:
Simply Beautiful.? Just what I need for my QTH.? Do you think the tuning cap and steppir could easily be weatherproofed?? A permanent install would be super-cool.
Jerry NY2KW
-- ¡°si vis pacem, para bellum¡±
--
Brian - N8BDB
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For those who don't know, Cincinnati is over 13" above normal in rainfall this year. Last year we had just over 55" of rain for the entire year. Right now, we're at 35". While it may be an inconvenience for us, I really feel sorry for the farmers.
Jack, W8TEE
On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 4:51:33 PM EDT, Brian Bowling <bowlingb@...> wrote:
RE the rain: I'm going to create a new ride sharing app and I'm calling it canoe-ber.
On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 1:00 PM jjpurdum via Groups.Io <jjpurdum= [email protected]> wrote:
Yes. In fact, Al is working on that right now. One method would be to move the stepper-cap board to the inside of the loop and hang it "upside down". We need to experiment a bit to see if that would affect anything to a noticeable degree. I don't know if you can see it, but the connecting parts are 3D printed and Al plans to make those files available, too. However, be forewarned they took almost a kilogram of filament and nearly 40 hours to print on Al's machine! You can also use plain PCV parts, too.
Since I want to use mine portable, I'm going to place an eye-hook at the top. That way, I can throw a rope over a limb and attach it to the eye-hook and use two tent stakes and some paracord tied to the sides to keep it from swaying. Will report how that works...if it ever stops raining.
Jack, W8TEE
On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 12:47:34 PM EDT, jsternmd < jsternmd@...> wrote:
Simply Beautiful.? Just what I need for my QTH.? Do you think the tuning cap and steppir could easily be weatherproofed?? A permanent install would be super-cool.
Jerry NY2KW
-- ¡°si vis pacem, para bellum¡±
--
Brian - N8BDB
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From what I understand insurance claims are way up this year.? One of the guys I work with was unable to plant anything this year missed both the corn and soybean windows because of the rain.? However, the insurance claim will payout enough that without planting he will be able to make a profit this year and absorb prior year's losses.? So at least one hobby like farmer I know will make it ok this year.
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The dad of my best friend had a saying.?
¡°If someone asks me what I would do if I got a million dollars i¡¯d tell them I would farm until it was all gone ¡°
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jjpurdum
Brian Bowling
Nicholas Ustick