ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- I would do the test using an SWR analyzer and a non-inductive 50 ohm resistor. I doubt if you would see any significant difference at 14 MHz. Bill W6WRT ________
A few weeks ago I posed a question about the power handling capability of the balun supplied with the Cushcraft X7 triband yagi, since it appeared rather small in size but was rated at full legal pow
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- Good point, thanks. No, I'm not shunt feeding and don't plan to but I will keep it in mind if I ever do. Depending on frequency and height of tower I can see whe
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- I would suggest giving these connectors the "pull till it breaks" test. Make up a test connector and pull the wire till something gives. With a good crimp, the w
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- For those new to crimped connectors, the proper crimping tool is not the cheap kind sold at run of the mill hardware stores for ten bucks or less. The kind you w
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- "Knowing how to use it" is right, and that's why it should NEVER be used in critical applications. If you use the compound lever and ratchet type, "knowing how t
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- I have seen hundred-foot trees blowing around in the wind like stalks of wheat. I would never install a tower next to one. Murphy lives for moments such as those
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- The tree will move FAR more than the tower, for two reasons: Wood is nowhere near as stiff or strong as steel, and the tree has far greater area to catch the win
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- When I was a kid, back in the late '50s or early '60s, I saw a wooden roller coaster which had just been destroyed by a wind storm near Salt Lake City, Utah. I d
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- Complexity is not evil unless it is combined with dubious reliability. Mechanical contrivances are always suspect until proven otherwise. The SteppIR has a good
Guys, please keep in mind that gain is not the be-all and end-all of antenna performance. In fact, sometimes high gain can be an actual detriment. Gain is not magic. If one antenna squeezes the RF mo
The real secret to successful dXing and everything else in ham radio is not antennas, rigs, computers or any kind of hardware. Here is the real secret: Be retired. 24/7 in the chair tops everything e
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- Stainless steel nuts and bolts will work fine, but be sure to do two things: 1. Use a locking nut, the kind with a nylon insert. If you are really paranoid about
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- Fascinating story. A mental picture I will not soon forget. :-) 73, Bill W6WRT _______________________________________________ __________________________________
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- The statement above was originally posted by W4TV and prefaced by "within limits". By removing "within limits" you have made it into an absolute statement instea
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- Would you recognize going from 1 db below the noise level to 2 db above it? I suspect every long-time DXer has had an experience where he almost but not quite ma
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- And what did the galvanizer think about all the aluminum now dissolved in his tank? Bill W6WRT _______________________________________________ __________________
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- As a ham, I love towers and antennas, but I see the HOA point of view too. Let me play devil's advocate: Why not just put it in writing that you personally will
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- Exactly right, and that was my point. If you are not willing to take that (considerable) risk, how can you ask your neighbors to? Bill W6WRT ____________________
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: -- REPLY FOLLOWS -- With all due respect Dan, that statement is incorrect. A person's or business's "word" is backed up my money all the time. It's how our civil justice system work