Teotwaki's comms ramblings...

[teotwaki]

starting a thread here to avoid polluting a picture thread

 

[teotwaki]

One of the antennas that we were testing was a newer version of this: http://www.google.com/patents/US7339542?printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false That is the only publicly available information on it.

I think that the antenna on the military mast tripod system in that one picture was a Diamond commercial version of a ham tribander or might have been a ham version. I will ask my friend Mike.

The handheld that I was using on that trip is this: http://www.dtwc.com/products/public-safety/portable-radios/guardian-vhf


My mobile HF radio is a Yaesu 857D legally modified to operate on both ham and non-ham frequencies.

On a trip to Death Valley I set up a center fed inverted V dipole and used the LDG Z100 autotuner with it. Some pictures here: http://suntothenorth.blogspot.com/2011/01/death-valley-radio-expedition-january.html

That particular blog post is the most popular one on my site. :elkgrin:

 

[1911]

On a trip to Death Valley I set up a center fed inverted V dipole and used the LDG Z100 autotuner with it.

Read your blog post Jim; nice job.

What bands can you tune with your wire dipole? Sounds like it might be long enough to work on 80 meters.

I'm using an OCF wire dipole more or less permanently mounted at home; it's length is nearly perfectly resonant on 20M and I can use my radio's internal tuner to transmit on 10, 12, 15, 17, and 40 but it's just not long enough to be able to transmit on 80.

 

[teotwaki]

Read your blog post Jim; nice job.

What bands can you tune with your wire dipole? Sounds like it might be long enough to work on 80 meters.

I'm using an OCF wire dipole more or less permanently mounted at home; it's length is nearly perfectly resonant on 20M and I can use my radio's internal tuner to transmit on 10, 12, 15, 17, and 40 but it's just not long enough to be able to transmit on 80.

I don't recall tuning it down to the ham 80 meter bands although it might be long enough to at least hit the higher 3.8 to 4 MHz range.

Glad that you like the blog!

 

[SWITAWI]

What in the world are you using for a tripod and antenna mast?

I work for a Trimble GPS dealer and a lot of our customers use 6-15ft extensions on top of a survey tripod for their 450-470MHz base station radios, but I doubt anyone I know has a setup that nice.

In fact most of our customers just use a SECO 5300-11 that only gets about 13ft elevation - http://www.surveying.com/Products/G...dio-Accessories/Tripod-With-Antenna-Mast.aspx

 

[GREENI]

Thanks, ditto on the above post...tripod looks great!

 

[11b4v]

that desert pic is way cool all around; rig, trailer, mast

 

[11b4v]

cool set up on the hot desert

that desert pic is way cool all around; rig, trailer, mast

 

[teotwaki]

Thanks for all of the compliments on the pictures and gear. I am still trying to see if there is a National Stock Number for the tripod to tell us who may have made it.

 

[GREENI]

You inspired me, so I now have a telescopic 8m mast, I just need a tripod or I'll make a mount that will use the rear ladder to the roof rack.
Thanks for posting, don't be shy of adding more.

 

[gary in ohio]

My mobile HF radio is a Yaesu 857D legally modified to operate on both ham and non-ham frequencies.

Not sure where you are but The 857 is not legal on anything but ham bands (at least in the US).

 

[teotwaki]

Not sure where you are but The 857 is not legal on anything but ham bands (at least in the US).

LOL, you might have asked a question or two before making such a sweeping statement. I have written authorization from a US federal agency. If you want to come to Southern California I will show you.

 

[gary in ohio]

LOL, you might have asked a question or two before making such a sweeping statement. I have written authorization from a US federal agency. If you want to come to Southern California I will show you.

Unless that federal agency is the FCC, I dont see how its legal outside the ham bands. Except perhaps on military freq I dont see how a federal agency can ignore FCC rules.

 

[teotwaki]

Unless that federal agency is the FCC, I dont see how its legal outside the ham bands. Except perhaps on military freq I dont see how a federal agency can ignore FCC rules.

I think that you may be basing your concerns on an incomplete view of how our government works when regulating radio communications. The FCC administers spectrum for non-Federal use. The NTIA (Department of Commerce) administers spectrum for Federal and military use. I hope this helps you to understand that I am operating legally.

best regards..

 

[teotwaki]

What in the world are you using for a tripod and antenna mast?

I work for a Trimble GPS dealer and a lot of our customers use 6-15ft extensions on top of a survey tripod for their 450-470MHz base station radios, but I doubt anyone I know has a setup that nice.

In fact most of our customers just use a SECO 5300-11 that only gets about 13ft elevation -

A long time ago I had to learn and use surveying techniques and had a lot of gear laying about a few years ago. I sold off the tripod but probably should have kept it for hanging antennas on!