[SECC] Happenings at AA4LR - Good news and Bad news

[Bill Coleman]

Good news first. I scrambled up the tower this morning and re-installed my Cushcraft A3S/A743 before the rains came. (Indeed, that was hours ago and I’m still waiting on the rain) I wanted to get it off the ground before something happened to it after rebuilding.

Now, the Bad news. While the A3S/A743 is nicely resonant at four different frequencies, ALL of those frequencies are consistently BELOW the band:

40m - 6.9 (1:1), 6.975 (2:1)
20m - 13.16 (1.1:1), 13.29 (2:1)
15m - 20.45 (1.2:1), 20.66 (2:1)
10m - 27.73 (1.2:1), 28.57 (2:1)

I’ve gone over my measurements of the old antenna, plus the new measurements after re-assembly — they are not terribly different. Unless something went out of whack when I was putting up the antenna.

I took a spot measurement with the antenna standing up off the ground, and the resonances were all in-band. I expected them to go lower when I raised the antenna, but not buy several hundred kHz.

All the traps, however, are different. The TA (10m), TB & TC (15m) traps are from another A3S I had. The TK (20m) traps are brand spanking new. 

Contemplating what I can do next, other than taking the antenna down again.


Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Web: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901