Hi Steve!
Thanks for all the sage advice. No, I am not married to the T-8. Might you
have any alternative suggestions? And, yes, I am limited to 45 feet here in
LA. Also, I think your right that I probably would not to use a telescoping
mast for any beam; a solid mast seems like the correct structural choice.
Well, I have a moderate budget for my shack, but it is not limitless, sadly
: ( What I would like to do is not make many silly mistakes! Thanks to
everyone's help here, I should avoid *most* of them!
I like the idea of the 42 foot vertical, but I am a bit intimidated by
radials. I think I will ask a lot of questions about that soon.
I am off to take the test in like an hour. Thanks for the wishes of luck!
73,
Richard
-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Steve Forst
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 7:42 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Motorized Telescoping Mast & Rotator Recommendation
Well, good luck Richard. Ask all the questions you can in all the
places you can and make your decisions. Lot's of guys are limited
to less than 45 feet for any number of reasons and don't feel the need to go
with anything retractable.
Something like the T-8 is going to need a real tower and not a simple
mast. Are you married to this antenna? There are other options out
there.
Of course your choices of radio and antenna are limiting you to HF and 6
meters for now. So no 2 meter or 440 stuff.
And since your checkbook is out, don't forget the other stuff you'll
need to get a station of this caliber on the air. Coaxial cable isn't
cheap anymore, and you don't want to wimp out here. As David said, a
radial system is needed for the vertical and after the cost of the wire,
there is some labor involved as well as real estate (especially for
160 meters).
While the 42 foot verticals are the hot thing today and have both proponents
and detractors, you will find the need for an external antenna tuner to get
full coverage on all bands. The 590's tuner is good, but I doubt it will
cover everything from 1.8 to 54 MHZ with this particular antenna.
Then there is the rotor, it's cable, and a bunch of other odds and ends.
Also a power supply to power the radio and other 12 volt junk that will
accumulate over the years. Depending on where you are, station and/or
tower grounding may also need to be considered. Hey, it's only money.
I hope you wind up with a super station. You may just want to start
with getting your ticket, get a radio and antenna up and get on the air.
Things you thought would be fun may turn out not to interest you, while
some aspect of the hobby you never considered may captivate you
and draw you and your wallet in that direction. A big part of the
hobby is dreaming and planning for that next station upgrade, but if I were
you, I wouldn't start pouring the concrete just yet,
73, good luck with the test, Steve KW3A
On 5/16/2014 7:52 AM, Richard B McDonald wrote:
> Hi Steve!
>
> Yes, my reasons for want a telescoping mast are to keep the antenna on
> the down-low (no pun intended : )). I can go up to 45 feet without
> zoning and permitting issues.
>
> As far as bands I would like to work, well, this is still a bit of a
> mystery to me. Since I am new to all this, I want to say "All of
> them!" The rig I will get is the Kenwood TS590. It can handle two
> antennas. Right now, I am thinking 1) a 42 foot vertical covering 160
> through 6 meters, and 2) a Tennadyne T8 log periodic beam covering
> 13MHZ through 32MHZ. It is the latter of these that I want to put on the
mast/rotator.
>
> Am I wrong in this thinking? Am I better-off with a beam for HF and a
> vertical for the VHF/UHF frequencies?
>
> I really appreciate your help!
>
> 73,
> Richard
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Steve Forst
> Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 9:32 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Motorized Telescoping Mast & Rotator Recommendation
>
> Richard,
>
> Just curious on some of the other parameters involved here, and why you
> are thinking in this direction. What bands are you planning to
> operate? What type of antenna?
>
> You want a 15 foot retracted height, how high do you want to go
> extended? What is the reason for thinking retractable? Home Owner's
> Association rules? High winds in your area?
>
> If what you are looking for really exists, it would probably cost a
> small fortune. We have some on this list with very deep pockets, well
> deserved after a lifetime of hard work, and others on a shoe string
> budget. Supply some more info and you will get some good answers
> from different perspectives.
>
> 73, Steve KW3A
>
>
>
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