24 Feb 2014 09:00:47 -0800 (PST)
From: Tad Williamson <tadwf4w@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2014 12:00:26 -0500
Subject: The New tower and HF beam are up and operational (for the most part)
To: jeflanders@comcast.net

The tower and Beam are up.  It is pretty amazing.

Here's a link to my DropBox account with pictures up through weekend before last.   I now have the beam complete and operational:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dwg83pi20f5qbny/G6PrLmCOs9

The tower was tiled over a little too far and was having trouble getting started up.  Al, NN4ZZ, had come over to take some pictures of the tilt-plate and the way I modified the phasing tubes.  He worked a come-along and we were able to get it up enough to get past the point of the problem (just a foot or two).  Lesson learned....never tilt down to completely horizontal.
 
I got the remote switch and the coax hooked up in the shack and checked the SWR across the bands:
 
40 is 2.6 at 7001 and drops down to 1:1 at 7120 -- I need to lengthen the tips a little to drop it down in the CW band
30 is 1.5:1 or less across the whole band
20 is 1.42:1 at 14001, flat at 14080 and 2.6:1 a 14340
17 is less than 1.25:1 across the whole band
15 is 1.35:1 or less across the whole band
12 is a problem, but I knew that going in--it running about 2.3 to 2.7:1---probably a trap, but I wanted to get it up and test it out.
10 is 1.4:1 or less from 28001 to 28.700
 
I worked a handful of stations barefoot with the beam pointed Southeast (135 degrees).  I have the cable run for the rotor, but haven't connected it to the controller yet..
 
TK, PJ7 and W1AW/4 on 30 meters.
VK7 and KH6 on 12 meters even with the higher SWR.
EA8 and IK8 on 20 meters
 
All were CW contacts, 100 watts and one call.
 
I'll drop it all next week, see if I can fix 12 meters and hopefully get the 6 and 2 meter beams mounted.
 
I'll also keep it up off horizontal so I don't have the problem raising it again.
 
I think I'm gonna like this beam!
 
73, Tad, WF4W