Wednesday, January 17, 2018

N1GMM
Guy's New Call
CW is much better than the old call (AI1G)

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Vibroplex Champion Key Slow Down

Jerry my friend from the Warrenton area gave me a good idea about slowing down my Vibroplex Champion key (from a buddy of his).  Jerry did not know what it was called but sent me a picture of it.  It is a stair gauge, I bought 2 from Home Depot today.  Here are some pics.

Fits perfectly.  It REALLY slows it down to about 13 wpm.  Yea!




Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Quadrature Detectors Overview

how-it-works-quadrature-detector

I love these things.  More on some applications in the near future.  I am still trying to figure out what I am doing with this blog.

-G

Thursday, January 4, 2018

New (Ha!) Balanced line tuner for my ladder line... $49

I won a bid on ebay for a Johnson Matchbox 275 .. light. $49







watch the video below to see the guts... Looks like they are made to go in a tank..

see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0GAlg9QJ8s


A funny...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Il84OQJ-E


Ill take some actual pictures of it when it gets here.. (I did not get to look inside it... so I dont know what I am getting... hopefully the caps and coil are still in it...)

Update 2018-01-10 08:03

Matchbox came in yesterday evening as I was putting up my antenna.. Good timing.  Putting up the antenna was another thing... 500ft of rope does not go far!

The matchbox was in GREAT condition.  Now I understand why they did not show the guts.. there are about 30 screws holding the thing together and you have to remove the knobs to look at the guts.
It was absoulutely spotless inside!  No burn marks everything was intact.  There was a piece of card stock inserted in the relays.. I left it there as I do not intend to use these.  I hooked up the antenna and tuned around on the bands using the QRP Plus (Bobs, that I replaced the IRF-510 final in).  I did not load up the antenna as I was bushed and it was 8:00pm.  Putting up the antenna was not so much fun.. 

Pictures:




40 meters was VERY  noisy last night. I did hear some nice CW at the lower end of the band.  Switching in and out the antenna was a major success.    Now to get on the air.  I am making a little dual meter SWR bridge for it that I will house in pcb material.  Meters coming, I have built the bridge.    Here is the schematic for the Bridge stolen from kits and parts :





-G

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Ground System

I have been purchasing various items for a decent grounding system.

First, at least 2 8 foot grounding rods.  One of which I pounded in just adjacent to my Shack.  I have to drill a quarter inch hole through the cinder block to the grounding connection for some #6 solid copper line to my grounding and Frankenstein board (more on that in a bit).  I also ordered some #6 stranded wire to tie the external grounding rods together, one near the Power Panel for the house and the other near my station.  I may install a third rod depending on how I install the antenna.

I also ordered a grounding plate to mount on a 3/4" plywood board on the wall next to my station.  There is also a frankenstein DPDT switch (4-pole Chinese 100A 380v).  Its a monster of a switch.  I will ground the antenna when not in use... I am more than a bit paranoid about lightening.  I know if it strikes it gives me a "little" bit more protection..

The Switch and Backboard.


I also got this to mount in a 6x6 box outside to the ladder line, It sits on top of a grounding rod.
Comes from the wireman:  (being even more paranoid).  Below the switch will be the grounding plate where I can run individual grounds to my radio (s).  Golly.. I wish I had not sold everything 2 years ago.... now I am building up again.. Thanks to Bob.. W9JOP.




Everything should be in by Thursday.  I "might" be able to get the antenna up by the weekend...




Homebrew Ladder Line and Antenna

I read several articles about ladder line and its benefits.  So, I made one.  The Credits will be listed below this entry.  Some pictures:

Note: I had more pictures of the ladder line build and actual making of the spacers but my phone ate them.. (I went to look for them and they were ALL gone).  I built the ladder line on 12-29 and it was COLD!  Took most of the day to cut the ladder line (100 ft) and the dipole (134 ft).








The spacers were made from 4" electric fence insulators from

A box of 200 runs $14.45 .. I still have a 100 left.  Enough for another ladder line.
The insulators were drilled on each end with a .125 (3.175mm) drill with a jig I made for my drill press to insure consistent holes were in the right place at each end,  The insulator is slightly triangular.  The insulators were all faced the same way as I inserted them on the THNN 14g stranded wire from Lowes (500 ft about $50).  I tied the wire between 2 trees and slowly threaded all the insulators on for 100 feet of ladder line.  Then I spaced each insulator 12" (30cm) from each other and used a hot glue gun to squirt glue in each end and a slight dab on each wire.    After about 5+ hours we have what we see.  

Thanks to Rob W1AEX  

Now to get it in the trees.  (Need a good grounding system... I have fried more than one antenna (among other equipment) and had rolling balls of lightning plasma in the basement ! ) .  
Virginia can get nasty lightning at times.. seems I am a magnet though..


Next posting: Putting in a grounding system.