On Jun 9, 2024, at 08:51, Connie W6EFI via groups.io <stillinger@...> wrote:

?

Thanks for the tip– – I will look into this once I get back home. I'm glad I have a radio I feel ?comfortable just opening and modifying.

73,

Connie W6EFI

On Sun, Jun 9, 2024 at 07:57, Doug Hendricks <ki6ds1@...> wrote:

Connie,? I? strongly encourage you to install a 1N4756A diode between rf and ground.? It will? protect your finals.

Doug

--
Connie KN2EFI

Connie,? I? strongly encourage you to install a 1N4756A diode between rf and ground.? It will? protect your finals.

Doug

I am following your adventures here, Kinley. Please keep us updated. I will probably copycat down the line.

On Sat, Jun 8, 2024 at 10:30, Joy Rabins <doghouse3@...> wrote:

We went to the city before I really got serious about ordering it. The city said "as long as it is for ham radio and is less than 35' high you don't need a permit". I have a printout from the city and the card of the city permit person that told us that.?

Dick did tell me a story yesterday of a guy that ordered some type of beam with all the other accessories and when he went to put it up in the city of Cupertino they wouldn't let him. Dick got a deal on a brand new Yaesu rotator when the guy was selling all the unused parts of his antenna project.?

Thanks for the heads up Doug,

Joy
N6GO

--
Connie KN2EFI

We went to the city before I really got serious about ordering it. The city said "as long as it is for ham radio and is less than 35' high you don't need a permit". I have a printout from the city and the card of the city permit person that told us that.?

Dick did tell me a story yesterday of a guy that ordered some type of beam with all the other accessories and when he went to put it up in the city of Cupertino they wouldn't let him. Dick got a deal on a brand new Yaesu rotator when the guy was selling all the unused parts of his antenna project.?

Thanks for the heads up Doug,

Joy
N6GO

On Jun 7, 2024, at 10:53 AM, Doug Hendricks via groups.io <ki6ds1@...> wrote:

?Joy, if I were you, I would get the installation plans approved by the city of Sunnyvale.? ?Ask them for all rules and regulations concham radio antennas.? ?When you finish ask them to verify that your? installation is legal in the city of Sunnyvale.? ?Ask Dave Pollack.? He has experience dealing with this situation from an irate neighbor.? ?By the way, he won !!

On Jun 6, 2024, at 2:51 PM, Joy Rabins via groups.io <doghouse3@...> wrote:

?Is this the guy line I would get for my new hex beam??

Dacron Rope, no stretch UV proof. It comes in 1/8",3/16", 6"16" and 1/2" from KF7P.com?

Joy
N6GO
(PS, I told you there would be questions)

After 2.5 years of delay I just put in my order for a KIO hex beam. I ordered the side clamps for the mast to have on hand just in case we decide to go in that direction. Also ordered the BAL-8 Snap on kit. I think I have the rotor and thrust bearing figured out and will order that along with guy lines from either HRO or DX engineering. I know you are supposed to use special guy lines that have UV protection. Does anything happen to know the specifics of what to order??

I want to add a separate wire antenna for 30, 40 and maybe 80 meters. I have seen in photos and heard of people installing them under the hex beam. Not sure how the attachment works so expect some more questions on that.

I'm going to hire someone to do everything required on the roof because I won't let my husband up there due to some medical issues. We have another engineer friend who is going to come over and help assemble it on the patio in the back yard.?

I'm still not sure what my husband has in mind for the mast. I purchased a ROHN 9H50 push up mast 2.5 years ago that is 5 sections and has a max height of 34 feet. But he is thinking of getting something with 10 foot sections so there wouldn't be as many guy lines to deal with.

The good news is because this is an antenna for ham radio, Sunnyvale doesn't require a permit. His plan is to bolt the mast in two places on the side of the house. He has done this in the past with a C band/KU band antenna which did require a permit from the city. Once it went up it was up to stay until he took it down. I expect the same for this attachment to the house.?

Since we are "newbies" doing this with no real ham experience putting up antennas or connecting everything together, expect a lot more questions.?

Here are the first couple of questions
Do we need a lightning arrestor?
Does anyone know what to ordernfor the guy lines that have UV protection??

Thanks
Joy
N6GO

After 2.5 years of delay I just put in my order for a KIO hex beam. I ordered the side clamps for the mast to have on hand just in case we decide to go in that direction. Also ordered the BAL-8 Snap on kit. I think I have the rotor and thrust bearing figured out and will order that along with guy lines from either HRO or DX engineering. I know you are supposed to use special guy lines that have UV protection. Does anything happen to know the specifics of what to order??

I want to add a separate wire antenna for 30, 40 and maybe 80 meters. I have seen in photos and heard of people installing them under the hex beam. Not sure how the attachment works so expect some more questions on that.

I'm going to hire someone to do everything required on the roof because I won't let my husband up there due to some medical issues. We have another engineer friend who is going to come over and help assemble it on the patio in the back yard.?

I'm still not sure what my husband has in mind for the mast. I purchased a ROHN 9H50 push up mast 2.5 years ago that is 5 sections and has a max height of 34 feet. But he is thinking of getting something with 10 foot sections so there wouldn't be as many guy lines to deal with.

The good news is because this is an antenna for ham radio, Sunnyvale doesn't require a permit. His plan is to bolt the mast in two places on the side of the house. He has done this in the past with a C band/KU band antenna which did require a permit from the city. Once it went up it was up to stay until he took it down. I expect the same for this attachment to the house.?

Since we are "newbies" doing this with no real ham experience putting up antennas or connecting everything together, expect a lot more questions.?

Here are the first couple of questions
Do we need a lightning arrestor?
Does anyone know what to ordernfor the guy lines that have UV protection??

Thanks
Joy
N6GO

On Wed, Jun 5, 2024 at 9:37 PM, David via groups.io

<dkvarn@...> wrote:

During a recent ops session, I commented to some that I suspected something was wrong with my new Alpha Loop antenna. I was making very few contacts and noted a scratchy sound in the receiver when tuning the antenna near resonance.

I found the problem today. As the pic shows, the plates of one section of the variable cap were shorting when fully meshed, or nearly so. This was immediately visually obvious, and an Ohmmeter check confirmed a dead short in certain tuning positions (as with the AlexLoop, the two sections are in series, so only by opening the box could the continuity check be made).?

I am baffled as to how something that cost so much for so little could go out the door in such obviously defective condition, apparently without real testing. Does Alpha have any QC at all??

As a parenthetic, I noted that as with the AlexLoop, within the main coax loop the center conductor and shield are shorted, though only the center SO-239 pin is connected inside the box.?

I think I can simply bend the cap plates to fix the problem. However, I first plan to diplomatically but nonetheless emphatically communicate my displeasure to Alpha and see what they offer. They should be embarrassed and IMO should send me a replacement box. I had contacted them previously, and they wanted me to ship the antenna back to them at my cost and pay them $25. to test and ship back the product ().?

Suggestions? Best, --David KM6RI