No subject

[lu7dw at abaconet.com.ar]

HELP

>From SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca>  Mon Apr 29 02:12:00 1996
From: SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca> (SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca>)
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 96 18:12:00 -0700
Subject: Guy Wires
Message-ID: <8BF8444.0065002C1E.uuout at lun.lis.ab.ca>

On the topic of tensioning of guy wires:

The tower I currently own, is SUPPOSED to be of the self supporting
variety. For my own reasons, I don't really believe in having large
arrays on a self supporting tower. I realize that there have been
hundreds of them up and stay up...but I sleep better at night with a
guyed tower.

Here is my reccomendations, based on my installation, and my lack of
trust in ANY hardware.

I don't have my guys piano wire tight. I don't think there is any need
to, and there apparently isn't since my tower is still up.

I was always tought, that in any installation, there should be room for
a LITTLe flexablitly. Not too much, but enough that other components are
not always under strain. On my upper set of guys, I have 2 wires for
each guy station, running down to earth screws. With this configuration,
if I ever need to slightly tighten a guy wire, I simply leave one guys
wire attached, and loosen the other. The loose end is the guy wire that
is re-tensioned, which will then in turn cause the other guy to have a
little extra slack in the middle. I then tighten the one I had
originally loosened, and double check my connections. I simply then
loosen the other guy, and tighten it to the approx. tension of the other
wire.

In this way, I have completely eliminated ANY tensioning devices in the
guying system. The break strength of the tensioning devices is usually
less (unless you spend big bucks) then the breaking strength of EHS guy
wire. I am a paranoi nirvosa when it comes to hanging lots of metal high
in the air, and with the two guys wires, plus eliminating the tensioning
devices, I find that I can rest well at night, and there is not a wind
storm yet, (and we CONSISTENTLY have winds of over 80MPH!!) that has
even remotely strained any component of the guying system.

My guy stations consist of a full bracket that bolts around the tower,
with small metal extensions out for the guy wire to attach. This acts
like a pretty good troque bracket and reduces the high level lateral
twisting that large beams exert on towers.

I also made sure that the guy anchors were at a distance that would not
strain the tower laterally, nor compressively. I simply placed the guy
anchors at a distance of 70% of the tower height away from the base.

I'm no engineer either....but for those of you out there who also worry
about every gust of wind...this may help you sleep better at night. It
did me!

PS- for a cheap cheap way to install guying anchors, for moderate sized
towers, I have a great solution. I am currently using fencepost anchors.
This is primo agricultural area, and can get them anywhere. They are
basically earth screws, of a length of 4 feet long, with a 4 inch screw
disc, sharpened for easy installation. I have all the official pull test
specifications that Alberta agriculture performed using these anchors.
They performed tests on about 4 different types of soil, and
installations of different angles. The results were staggering. I don't
have the sheets right in front of me at the moment, but it was around
5000 pounds force in the worst case soil and pull angle. This was in
SAND!!! In regular solid earth, with a vertical pull, pull capability
was around 9,000 lbs to actually breakin the head of the anchor off!

If anyone is interested, I can supply information of where these anchors
can be acquired, and forward official test specs by Alberta Agriculture.


73 de Shawn
VE6PV

>From michael d. ihry" <mihry at topher.net  Mon Apr 29 05:10:15 1996
From: michael d. ihry" <mihry at topher.net (michael d. ihry)
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 23:10:15 -0500
Subject: help..need variac
Message-ID: <199604290410.XAA02690 at mail.topher.net>

hi all
been working on a homebrew amp. found a transformer, but it puts out
too much voltage. need a variac to control the input. does anybody
have a variac that will do 0 to 120 volts at about 10 to 15 amps??
tnx
de ac5ct..mike in tx


>From michael d. ihry" <mihry at topher.net  Mon Apr 29 05:13:17 1996
From: michael d. ihry" <mihry at topher.net (michael d. ihry)
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 23:13:17 -0500
Subject: texas qso party
Message-ID: <199604290413.XAA02714 at mail.topher.net>

tnx to all who sent info on software for the texas qso party.
i have now purchased the software to run the contest.
de ac5ct...mike in tx


>From AA1K Jon Zaimes <jon.zaimes at dol.net>  Mon Apr 29 09:41:37 1996
From: AA1K Jon Zaimes <jon.zaimes at dol.net> (AA1K Jon Zaimes)
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1996 05:41:37 -0300
Subject: Cheaper hardline connectors

After trying some commercial hardline connectors (which failed) and several
types of copper and brass plumbing fittings (more time and money than I
wanted to spend), I settled on two quick-and-easy ways to adapt hardline to
standard coax fittings:

For 1/2 inch hardline, trimming back the shield and cutting four slits in it
will allow installation of a PL259 directly on the hardline. The slits
create four flanges which slip over the back of the PL259. A small,
all-stainless hose clamp tightly compresses the flanges to the PL259. Solder
the center conductor, of course. Tape for weather proofing.

For 3/4 inch hardline, carving out a half inch of the foam insulation, and
cutting four slits in the shield (to create four flanges) will allow
installation of a double-female barrel connector (PL-258) directly on the
hardline. The center conductor is a snug fit in the PL-258; no soldering
necessary. An all-stainless hose clamp firmly compresses the flanges to the
PL259. Tape for weatherproofing.

I have used both of these methods for several years, without failure. The
price is tough to beat. Both are strong enough to withstand normal wear and
tear, and regular changes of cable connections.

There's one cheaper way, which I use on the many splices of my long beverage
runs. No connector, just one hose clamp. The hose clamp bonds the two
shields, the center conductors are twisted, and, if you like, soldered. Tape
for weatherproofing. This method works fine for either hardline-to-hardline
or hardline-to-coax splices.

73/Jon AA1K jon.zaimes at dol.net

"It's just a hobby"  



>From Marijan Miletic <s56a at s55tcp.ampr.org>  Mon Apr 29 11:57:33 1996
From: Marijan Miletic <s56a at s55tcp.ampr.org> (Marijan Miletic)
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 96 06:57:33 EDT
Subject: Mults conspiracy
Message-ID: <24549 at s55tcp.ampr.org>

Jose, CT1BOH published another interesting and inovative article about contest
and I hope this non-USA proposal will not be dumped as the previous one
regarding smoother CQ WW scoring although the good excusse might be Portugese
char set (suplements Swedish we have seen before).
Crucial factor in CT1BOH approach is the average speed of mults per 10 minute.
I am not sure one can deduce that from RUN average as we keep calling toward
the most populous areas while for the mults we will turn antenna away from it.
EU case might be USA for volume and then two headings 90 deg. ofset for SA & AS
Even with dipole, mults rate will change dramatically in the above example.
73 de Mario, S56A, N1YU with station but only HB contest :-)

>From SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca>  Mon Apr 29 08:59:00 1996
From: SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca> (SHAWN LIGHTFOOT <shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca>)
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 96 00:59:00 -0700
Subject: CATV hardline.
Message-ID: <8BF903B.0065002C30.uuout at lun.lis.ab.ca>

OK, I know that this thread has been going on for a while, but due to my
own stupidity, I deleted all the messages regarding putting connectors
on CATV hardline.

I have 7/8 inch hardline 75 ohm, with a solid aluminum outer shield.

So...can those who know how to put PL259 connectors on please forward
the information to me directly. We don't need to clutter the reflector
again.

I can be reached at either of the following addresses;

shawn.lightfoot at lun.lis.ab.ca   (Home address)

OR

slightfo at jrcc.com        (Japan Radio Company Canada)


Thanks in advance,

Shawn
VE6PV

>From Bill Turner <wrt at eskimo.com>  Mon Apr 29 12:49:17 1996
From: Bill Turner <wrt at eskimo.com> (Bill Turner)
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1996 04:49:17 -0700
Subject: Hawaii missing in action?
Message-ID: <199604291149.EAA25381 at mail.eskimo.com>

Hey, you KH6s:  Want to win a plaque?  The last three RTTY contests have
seen little or no activity from Hawaii.  Here's a chance for someone to run
a serious pileup.  The VOLTA contest is coming in May and the ANARTS contest
in June.  Hope to see you there!

73, Bill  W7LZP
wrt at eskimo.com


>From w7ni at teleport.com (Stan Griffiths)  Mon Apr 29 13:03:36 1996
From: w7ni at teleport.com (Stan Griffiths) (Stan Griffiths)
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1996 05:03:36 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Rain Static
Message-ID: <199604291203.FAA14770 at desiree.teleport.com>

>
>Could be that the upper antennas act as a "grid" of sorts to drain some of
>the charge away from the raindrops before they fall on the lower one.
>i.e., the lower antenna is in a lower-potential zone than the upper.
>Could also be that your upper antenna "sees" more noise sources.  Probably
>a combination of the two.
>
>73, Ward N0AX
>

The picture I am getting is that higher antennas have more rain static.

Stan  w7ni at teleport.com