Short Wave Radio Question

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Yeah, a painter's pole would work, if you don't mind setting up the antenna every time you stop, which is what most people do. Most two-meter ham communications involve contacting a repeater, which is a radio that picks up the transmission and retransmits it. As long as you can hit a repeater you should have plenty of people to talk to. There are folks with restrictive covenents at home who hide a J-Pole or other 2M antenna in their closet and can hit a nearby repeater.

I permanently mounted my J-Pole on a telescoping flagpole I bought from Harbor Freight. The flagpole retracts, then I unhook the antenna cable and fold the antenna over. This is overkill for most people though. I did it mainly to see if I could.

Thankyou Mike ! Just saw . I will show to Linda and see what way see wants to go , flagpole or painters pole . Pat

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

The "red ropes" are a couple of those Gear Tie things you can buy at a home improvement store. I use them to hold the J-Pole antenna in place when it is folded down, and to make sure that when the masts are retracted they stay that way. I'm sure I could come up with a more elegant solution if I made the effort.

I envy your welding and machining skill. My dad, a farmer, would never teach me how to weld or use his cutting torch. He was afraid I'd cut up the farm, he said. I'll take measurements of the mast and photos of the mount tomorrow.

Mike looking forward to your photo’s too ! Pat

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

...
However, you do get deep valleys with no coverage.

For those deep valleys - a highly directional antenna with enough gain (amplification) to bounce the signal off a mountain side.

One photo showing the antenna mount - that looks suspiciously like a bike carrier without the bike supports.

A second photo showing the antenna and mount. Funny how the parts look just like a wooden banister hand rail, a fiberglass ski pole, a piece of pvc pipe and bits of fiberglass tent poles.

Can you say "cheap"?

Worked pretty well in the Chisos Basin, about 30 miles from the nearest repeater. But that repeater was linked to 6 or 7 others for coverage all the way to El Paso.

Just think what could be done if I was willing to spend real money!

--
Alan

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

For those deep valleys - a highly directional antenna with enough gain (amplification) to bounce the signal off a mountain side.

One photo showing the antenna mount - that looks suspiciously like a bike carrier without the bike supports.

A second photo showing the antenna and mount. Funny how the parts look just like a wooden banister hand rail, a fiberglass ski pole, a piece of pvc pipe and bits of fiberglass tent poles.

Can you say "cheap"?

Worked pretty well in the Chisos Basin, about 30 miles from the nearest repeater. But that repeater was linked to 6 or 7 others for coverage all the way to El Paso.

Just think what could be done if I was willing to spend real money!

--
Alan

I’d just say inventive Alan ! Pat

[NuthatchBC]

I sometimes carry a setup for working amateur satellites that utilizes two quadrifilar helix antennas, one for VHF and one for UHF. If there's going to be an antenna "show-and-tell" at the rally, I'll bring it along.

My six meter equipment is limited to an old Heathkit Shawnee. Puts out about 8 watts on AM. Needless to say, I don't make many contacts

Doug VE7DRF
&
Kathy VE7KDD

[Eggscape]

Here is a picture of one of my two bumperettes (if you missed it in my mods) that I welded to the junctions of the frame and bumper. It also shows the mast and how I stow it inside the trailer. I like the two mounts so I can select which one clears the trees overhead in the camp site. It also allows me to use a beam on a second mast and is easily rotated by hand with the mast not being bolted to the bumper.

I also bolted a short 19.25 inch tube stub to the bottom of my J-Pole antenna so it quickly slides into the top of my fiberglass mast. No bolts required.

Ed VE7EWS
and
Marilyn VE7MWS

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

Worked pretty well in the Chisos Basin, about 30 miles from the nearest repeater. But that repeater was linked to 6 or 7 others for coverage all the way to El Paso.


--
Alan

When I was in Chisos Basin I couldn't hear anything due to the surrounding mountains. No TV, no VHF ham radio, no cell, no nothing. It crossed my mind that NASA could make it into a radio quiet zone for a radio telescope. I didn't think to bounce a signal off of a mountain (Casa Grande, I presume). That's pretty clever. I may have to take a directional antenna along on my next trip.

[Ron in BC]

Thanks Mike,

The ad did mention that the pole didn't have ropes like brand x but I saw the ropes and thought that I'd better clarify.

It's only the outside diameter that I need.

I guess that I'm lucky. My dad started letting me use things like the table saw when I needed a box to stand on. But he made me show him what I wanted to do up to about age 8. I guess getting going with tools at an early age paid off in the long term.

Ron

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

When I was in Chisos Basin I couldn't hear anything due to the surrounding mountains. No TV, no VHF ham radio, no cell, no nothing. It crossed my mind that NASA could make it into a radio quiet zone for a radio telescope. I didn't think to bounce a signal off of a mountain (Casa Grande, I presume). That's pretty clever. I may have to take a directional antenna along on my next trip.

Nope, not Casa Grande. I pointed the quad in the direction of Ward Mountain, just to the left of the Window. The repeater is on Christmas Mountain which is line of sight from Ward at about a 45 degree angle. Pure speculation of course.

But not speculation is the new cell tower behind the Lodge. Say "goodby" to the quiet zone, and "hello" to facebook and instagram. Sorry...

[Mike Lewis]

Although I see your point, on balance having cell coverage in the Basin is probably a good thing, for safety reasons. Big Bend is so large and so isolated that dealing with medical emergencies must be a challenge for park personnel, and it's almost impossible for visitors to alert rangers to problems without cellphones. The Lodge already had wifi, so adding a cell tower is just a tiny step down that slippery slope to being in constant communication.

[Mike Lewis]

I just typed in a long description of these photos then lost the whole thing, so here I go again :

The flagpole mount is a four-foot piece of pipe welded to a square 5x5 inch steel plate. The plate has four holes for two square U-bolts that secure it to the trailer's rear bumper. The mast is secured to the pipe with aluminum antenna brackets and conduit hangers.

Closeup photos -- I put an angle bracket beneath the end of the mast to support it, as I was concerned that the innards of the mast might fall through its bottom. I drilled the bumper for a set screw to keep the assembly from migrating off the end. Looks like I need to put the screw back.

BTW- the bottom of the mast is 2.25 inches in diameter, or a bit under 6 cm in Canadian.

[Mike Lewis]

Adding a bracket to the trailer's back bumper to hold an antenna mast when the trailer is parked should be no big deal. Carrying the mast down the road attached to the trailer's back bumper via a home-made rig is a different story, especially when the flagpoles are made to hold a flag in a fixed position. I've made reasonable effort to make the assembly as safe as possible by using locknuts, lockwashers, safety wire, etc. But if you try something like this, do so at your own risk. My approach might not be the smartest way of doing things.

[Mike Lewis]

It took me a while to figure out how to retract my J-Pole ham antenna and keep it on its mast while traveling. I ended up using bolts, an aluminum tube, bushings, and antenna brackets to make a hinge that would invert the antenna when the mast is retracted during towing.

When retracted the antenna is upside-down. Its BNC cable connector is protected with a cap. It is held in place with Gear Ties at the hinge and on the lower section of the mast.

To extend the antenna I rotate it upright, secure it with a ring pin through holes that line up in the antenna mount and a conduit hanger attached to the mast, attach the antenna cable to its BNC connector, then raise the mast. This puts the base of the antenna twenty feet above the trailer's bumper.

[Ron in BC]

Thanks Mike, I'd trust your 2.25" more than the info on the Q & A, 2.3".

Your method of securing the base of the pole is a good one. The steel pole acts as a tall brace and no doubt helps dampen out oscillations caused by movement underway and wind when the pole is fully extended.

Ron

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Mike looking forward to your photo’s too ! Pat

Mike Linda took a look at photo’s today . She decided she just wants a maybe ,telescoping painters pole . I need to figure a pole holder at back bumper . We can just put everything away in the 8 ft truck bed until needed . Nothing wrong with your great setup , just don’t want to travel that way . Thanks for the pictures ! Pat

[Vermilye]

If you use a 1" painter's pole (the usual size, at least at Loews), this flag pole base fits them perfectly. Not the strongest mount in the world, but I have 2 of them held on by 5 inch "U" brackets to the front bumper for my "Glow ball" and weather station. If I was going to use one to hold something with lots of wind resistance, I'd add some additional support half way up the pole, but for light stuff they work.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

If you use a 1" painter's pole (the usual size, at least at Loews), this flag pole base fits them perfectly. Not the strongest mount in the world, but I have 2 of them held on by 5 inch "U" brackets to the front bumper for my "Glow ball" and weather station. If I was going to use one to hold something with lots of wind resistance, I'd add some additional support half way up the pole, but for light stuff they work.

Thanks Jon for how we want to use that should work ! Pat

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Mike Linda took a look at photo’s today . She decided she just wants a maybe ,telescoping painters pole . I need to figure a pole holder at back bumper . We can just put everything away in the 8 ft truck bed until needed . Nothing wrong with your great setup , just don’t want to travel that way . Thanks for the pictures ! Pat

That may be better, to be honest. I did it this way because I was afraid of banging up the J-Pole if I stowed it away, and wanted to minimize set up / take down. I haven't road-tested the J-Pole mast yet. After doing so I might end up removing it for travel as well.

Eventually I'll have so many antennas that ETI will pay me to stay home and keep the trailer off the road.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

That may be better, to be honest. I did it this way because I was afraid of banging up the J-Pole if I stowed it away, and wanted to minimize set up / take down. I haven't road-tested the J-Pole mast yet. After doing so I might end up removing it for travel as well.

Eventually I'll have so many antennas that ETI will pay me to stay home and keep the trailer off the road.

Mike I hear you about especially the J pole antenna ,will need to make sure it has a safe spot in the bed of the truck ! Thankyou again for the pictures ! Pat

[jxoco]

All good answers.
Thanks everyone.
I'm thinking that a handheld can't really do much then.