Ron,
That sure is great news and I sure know the feelings about the situation you
faced with the helpers. What vertical again are you using? I tried many
different wires on my taller tower back in the days I was young and could
climb and the delta loop hanging from about 52 feet at the peak and about 12
feet off the ground at the bottom would better than everything else I tried
on 40 meters. So you should be all set with the setup you have it sounds
like.
Phil.
K0NX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Ronald E. Milliman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2014 7:50 PM
Subject: Antenna up-date...
> Good morning,
>
>
>
> We went down to Texas to pick up my Son, Mike, WB5VQX, and turned around
> and
> came right back; it was a very whirlwind trip. However, with my Son's
> help,
> we finally have my antenna problems figured out, and partially fixed. It
> only illustrates why I hate, I mean absolutely hate, being dependent on
> sighted people for assistance in situations where we just cannot do what
> we
> have to do. For the most part, I am extremely independent, as are most all
> of you, but sometimes we simply have to swallow our pride and ask for and
> accept sighted assistance. For me, putting up my antennas was one of those
> situations. As it turned out, I had five local ham club guys come over to
> help; three of them are Extra Class ops, but it was like the five stooges.
>
>
>
> My Son, Mike, is also an Extra Class license holder; he earned his first
> license when he was 13, like many of us. Once he and I got working
> together
> on my antenna problem, we were able to trace it down quite quickly. The
> five
> stooges that helped me put up my antennas mixed up the coax feedlines, and
> the one they told me was for the loop turned out to be for the dual band
> VHF/UHF vertical and visa versa. Then, two of the PL259 connectors they
> put
> on my feedlines were not soldered up correctly and were shorted. So, once
> Mike and I determined the connectors were shorted, we were then, able to
> determine which feedline went to which antenna. Once we got a good PL259
> soldered to the dual band vertical, it works perfectly. So, that problem
> is
> solved. Next, we were able to check the coax to the loop antenna and
> determined the coax was just fine. We checked the balun and determined it,
> too, was just fine. However, when we disconnected the wire loop from the
> balun and tested the loop itself, we discovered that the loop had infinite
> resistance; that is, there is a break in the 14 gage wire making up the
> loop, and it is being held together by just the vinyl insulation. I have
> now
> ordered a 500 foot roll of #12 gage wire to replace the wire making up
> the
> defective wire loop, and that should solve my problem, and I should be up
> and fully operational. I was able to use my talking Volt/Ohm meter for all
> of the tests, and with my Son's help, we have the problems figured out,
> resulting in one antenna now fully operational and the other in the
> process
> of being replaced and fixed.
>
>
>
> As you can tell from the tone of my message, I am far less than content
> with
> my ham club buddies. I think they felt obligated to help me and just
> wanted
> to throw up the antennas and get the hell out of here. If the antennas
> worked, great, but if they didn't, that was just tough shit! I've had ham
> club buddies in the past from other ham clubs help me and it all work
> perfectly, but these fellows seem to be cut from different cloth, as the
> expression goes.
>
>
>
> Thank God my Son is here!! <lol>
>
>
>
> Ron, K8HSY
>
>
>
> Dr. Ronald E. Milliman
>
> Retired Professor of Marketing
>
> President: A3 Business Solutions (a3businesssolutions.com)
>
> President: M&M Properties
>
> Chair: American Council of the Blind's PR Committee
>
> Chair: American Council of the Blind's MMS Committee
>
> President: South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind (SCKCB.ORG)
>
>
>
>
>
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