Topband: Use CAT6 as a feedline for you RX antenna

[ve6wz at shaw.ca]

Hi Stan,

Yes, I built a small regulated power supply and source my 9C, and all of my TI amps in the field with +15v.
The TI amps all have a 12v zener so more than 12v is no problem.
My most distant TI amp on one of my Beverage pairs is well over 300m (1,000') and powered with a single twisted pair with no trouble.
There is also a shared relay on that line also to activate that direction.

My 9C has always been powered with a CAT twisted pair, but it is only about 400' from the shack.

Another project "in the que" at ve6wz is to redesign the 9C combiner for use with CAT6 twisted pair.
My motivation for that is to deploy a  broadside phased array using two 3 element endfire cells spaced at 400' or so.
Modelling shows an RDF of over 15 dB.  I've been thinking of that one for a long time but hesitated considering the expense and effort for all the feedlines.
Especially since I only get 2 directions and very narrow 30-degree beamwidth. EU would be my focus direction.
With CAT6 that might be more manageable.

73, de steve ve6wz


________________________________
From: Stan Stockton <wa5rtg at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2025 1:29 AM
To: ve6wz at shaw.ca <ve6wz at shaw.ca>
Cc: topband at contesting.com <topband at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Use CAT6 as a feedline for you RX antenna

Steve,

Thank you so much for all you do to provide practical information to help everyone with their RX antenna projects!

If you are using Cat 6 to provide voltage to 12v relays, do you just feed it with enough voltage to overcome the voltage drop, if it is too great.  For example, in addition to using it for feed lines I would want to provide voltage to a YCCC 9 Circle combiner/relays and preamps/relays and the voltage drop would be too much if I started with 13.8V  in the shack. It might be on the edge of working or not if I used two pairs. There is too much drop with a Bias T at either end of RG6.

Stan, ZF9CW

> On Jan 15, 2025, at 6:31 PM, ve6wz at shaw.ca wrote:
>
> I uploaded a new YouTube video about using CAT6 as a feedline for receive antennas.
> I show how to design and make passive transformers to match the 100 Ohm pairs.
> I also describe a modification of my TI amplifier that I use from my BOGs to match the CAT6.
>
> About 20 years ago I was using CAT5 for feedlines, so using twisted pairs is not new. It's been around a long time.
> However, I'm expanding my phase Beverages arrays and feeding them with CAT 6 helps consolidate feedlines and control voltages into fewer lines in the field.
> It is possible to find some very tough, outdoor direct burial CAT6 that can work well.
>
> https://youtu.be/i44PU8NJf1M
>
> 73, de steve ve6wz
> _________________
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