Category: Antennas

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Visit to a German Ham Radio Club

By James Smith-KK6YAM

I visited the city of Mainz, Germany last summer and wanted to share my wonderful experience with everyone in the club. While in Mainz, I met a local ham, Rudolf “Rudi” Klos-DK7PE. Rudi is a professional communications engineer with Lufthansa Airlines. He is an avid traveler and DX-er and uses his company sponsored travel to visit many countries. Rudi has been with the local radio club for over 50 years. Like so many CVARC hams, he started with an interest at a young age and was fascinated with being able to communicate with others all over the world.

Rudi Klos-DK7PE

The local ham club, which is very similar to the CVARC, had a ham booth at the “Rheinland Pflaz-Tag.” This is a yearly festival in the region complete with satellite links and digital mode demonstrations! The local ham club also invited me to their weekend restaurant event. It was great to talk to the other local hams about their interests and activities.

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Determined Sleuth Solves Field Day Inter-Band Interference

By Bill Willcox-KF6JQO

During the last three or so ARRL Field Day events the phone stations have been plagued by interference between the 10 and 15M bands, and to a lesser extent the 20M band as well. 

The transceivers for all three bands were within 10-20 feet of each other and all three fed individual band pass filters by means of lengthy coaxial cables.  The band pass filters then fed a multiplexer that in turn fed a multi-band hex beam antenna by means of a single coaxial cable equipped with a choke at the antenna.  Note: the band pass filters and multiplexer were all mounted on the same aluminum base plate in a plastic box.

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Have You Seen Me?

I miss my antenna friend. I am a 25-foot telescoping antenna mast, cleverly disguised as a flagpole, and a drive-on antenna mount.

I joined my antenna friend in about 2010 and together we worked hard for the CVARC radio guys and gals at several Field Day events.

But somehow my friend, the antenna, and I were tragically separated.  We miss each other.

Can you please check your garage or storage unit an see if I might be there?

If you find me, please contact either Bill Willcox-KF6JQO, at KF6JQO@yahoo.com or Martin Hickey-AJ6CL at hickmodawg@gmail.com.

Thanks so much,

Masty

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Multiband TV Rabbit Ear Antenna

Extend rabbit ears to 17” or so for 2 meter use; for 6 meters,  use the rabbit ears fully extended and add 12” clip lead at ends of the dipole. (Channel 2 TV used frequencies just a bit higher in frequency than the 6 meter band.) Use power meter, SWR bridge, or internal metering in the transceiver to achieve lowest VSWR. Meant for QRP use only! Plastic Schedule 40 PVC pipe in one-foot sections, with PVC couplings, makes for a simple mast, which can be put in a suitcase for travel or in a day pack for hill-topping/SOTA use. – Pete, N6ZE