[TowerTalk] 3 EL 40M

WD4K Ttow1 at Charter.net
Wed Mar 12 12:02:06 EST 2003


Last year I put up the Force12 Mag340N, 110' Rohn 55, atop an 800' hilltop/
100-300Ft sloping drop in all the right places. It went together exactly as
prescribed, no problems whatsoever and actually fun getting it together...
What a monster it looks like on the ground!! It is a very impressive well
designed product. I tuned each individual element prior to assembly by
raising them to about 60'. After final assembly, when located at 110', in
between my top two C31's at 75' and 115', it is right on the money. It
performs extremely well, survived the ice storm here this winter, including
the winds. This is a real winner!
Not so with the Mag180B Force 12 rotatable dipole at 123'. It assembled
easily and tuned perfectly at about 60', all relays and freq switching were
dead on the money per Tom (N6BT). So far so good. When installed at the top,
it shifted 100KHZ, even in boom line with the top C31. This rendered the
relay switching useless and essentially the whole antenna useless. However
it does perform really well when at 1:1 using the ATR 30 tuner (relays
disconnected). Great for one freq but difficult and frustrating in the
middle of a contest. It is coming down very soon. I probably will go back up
with it but at 95' between the 75' C31 and the Mag340N, (on a homebrew
sidemount) or on the upcoming new tower. We'll see. It is not servicable at
it current height on the mast. Neither Tom, Natan or I can figure out what
happened, maybe something in relay box got whacked by the crane...,or the
tuning wires slipped, who knows but it will be fixed. Good news is that it
looks great up there! Hi...whatever value that is, and did well with the ice
and wind. It will be a super antenna once repaired.  Tommy WD4K

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Subject: TowerTalk Digest, Vol 3, Issue 21


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Today's Topics:

   1. Feedthrough Panel Question (ted demopoulos)
   2. Re: Feedthrough Panel Question (Jim Lux)
   3. Re: Permits
   4. WANTED: HDR-300 Housing or Organ Donor (Robin Midgett)
   5. 3 Ele 40 of Choice? (Rich Hallman - N7TR)
   6. Re: 3 Ele 40 of Choice?
   7. Re: 3 Ele 40 of Choice? (ted demopoulos)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 20:38:18 +0000
From: "ted demopoulos" <kr1g at hotmail.com>
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Feedthrough Panel Question
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Gentleman and ladies.
A few quick feedthrough panel questions a quick look thru the archives
didn't answer

1) I'll be using an Aluminun Plate - how thick?? It'll go thru the wall to
the unheated garage. Shack above and heated. It'll hold maybe 32 UHF type
feedthroughs

2) How far apart can i put the UHF type feedthroughs? I've got from RG-213
to 7/8" hardline, and might even be using some 1 5/8" hardline if the
(surplus) price is right later.

3) should I just mount it vertically?? My contracter and friend thinks maybe
at an angle sloping towards the ground. (this is part of through the shack
out of the house project of my XYLs, so there is all kinds of ongoing
construction)

4) And should I just weather seal the otherside connectors? Considering
building some type of sheet metal weatherproof cover, or is that total
overkill??

thanks and 73
Ted
KT1V ex KR1G





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Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 13:26:13 -0800
From: Jim Lux <jimlux at earthlink.net>
To: "ted demopoulos" <kr1g at hotmail.com>, towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Feedthrough Panel Question
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20030311131822.033e1e08 at mail.earthlink.net>
In-Reply-To: <BAY1-F231SM067RK0Tc00033bd6 at hotmail.com>
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>
>1) I'll be using an Aluminun Plate - how thick?? It'll go thru the wall to
>the unheated garage. Shack above and heated. It'll hold maybe 32 UHF type
>feedthroughs

What are you bolting it to? If you're bolting it to something that has some
stiffness (i.e. angle or channel iron/alum), then it can be pretty
thin.  .062 (1/16") might be fine... 1/8" is pretty stiff.


>2) How far apart can i put the UHF type feedthroughs? I've got from RG-213
>to 7/8" hardline, and might even be using some 1 5/8" hardline if the
>(surplus) price is right later.

make them far enough apart that you can get your fingers/hand around the
connector to unscrew them! I once put BNCs on 3/4" centers.. they fit, but
big mistake.



>3) should I just mount it vertically?? My contracter and friend thinks
>maybe at an angle sloping towards the ground. (this is part of through the
>shack out of the house project of my XYLs, so there is all kinds of
>ongoing construction)

I'd think an angle sloping out at the top, or vertical, so that water
doesn't want to sit on the surface and leak through.


>4) And should I just weather seal the otherside connectors? Considering
>building some type of sheet metal weatherproof cover, or is that total
>overkill??


Consider getting a cheap electrical panel box (which has a "weatherproof"
folding lid) and cutting out the back to bolt the feedthrough panel into.
You can cut the bottom out to give a place for the cables to go.  Pick the
right size panel and it will neatly fit inbetween the studs.  There are
purpose made things like this which are designed to hold a wood panel about
2" back from the front surface, with a door, etc. (used for the phone line
entrance.. they mount the customer demarcation jack on the wood).

The standard electrical breaker panel (sans breakers) is very cheap at
places like Home Depot (due to huge quantities being made/sold). Just rip
out the back with a power saw, leaving a suitable lip to bolt your aluminum
panel to.

They also make these things with a nice trim fascia on one side that can
cover up the somewhat rough edges you cut in the side of your house.


>thanks and 73
>Ted
>KT1V ex KR1G
>
>
>
>
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE*
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>_______________________________________________
>
>See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
>Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with
>any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 22:50:47 EST
From: K7LXC at aol.com
To: hdmc38 at bellsouth.net, towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Permits
Message-ID: <a8.19b9fd4d.2ba00897 at aol.com>
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In a message dated 3/10/03 12:40:53 PM Pacific Standard Time,
hdmc38 at bellsouth.net writes:

> Has anyone ever permited a tower in Broward County Fl.?Also when and was
it
> under the new Fl building code?Would like to hear your experience's and
> problems.

    Rotsa ruck. The windspeed rating there these days is 140 MPH!

Cheers,
Steve      K7LXC
TOWER TECH
------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 22:08:25 -0600
From: Robin Midgett <robin.midgett at vanderbilt.edu>
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] WANTED: HDR-300 Housing or Organ Donor
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20030311220732.047b42c8 at m.mail.vanderbilt.edu>
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Message: 4

Hi,
I would like to purchase or trade for a housing for the HDR-300 rotator;
will consider junked rotor for organ donor. Can meet at Kennehoochie
Hamfest this weekend in GA, or at Tullahoma, TN in late March or at SVHFS
conference. Then there is UPS & FedEx...

Thanks,
Robin Midgett KB4IDC
VHF+ Glutton
God Bless America, in God we trust.
Southeastern VHF Society 2003 Conference
April 25-26 Huntsville, AL
www.svhfs.org


------------------------------

Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 20:36:11 -0800
From: Rich Hallman - N7TR <rich at n7tr.com>
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] 3 Ele 40 of Choice?
Message-ID: <857A81FDD0C610438C2726B14E2105660C95 at home-server.n7tr.com>
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Looking at the 3 Element 40 meter beams between Force 12 and M2.  Seems to
be a vast difference in price.  What are the comments and experiences out
there and overall recommendations for a solid 3 Element 40 Meter Beam...

Looking to install one at 150ft...But ultimately will be stacking.

Thanks...
Rich N7TR
www.n7tr.com

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 06:03:25 EST
From: BobK8IA at aol.com
To: rich at n7tr.com, towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 3 Ele 40 of Choice?
Message-ID: <a2.34a2b23b.2ba06dfd at aol.com>
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In a message dated 3/11/2003 9:41:38 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
rich at n7tr.com writes:


> Looking at the 3 Element 40 meter beams between Force 12 and M2.  Seems to
> be a vast difference in price.  What are the comments and experiences out
> there and overall recommendations for a solid 3 Element 40 Meter Beam...
>
> Looking to install one at 150ft...But ultimately will be stacking.
>
> Thanks...
> Rich N7TR
> www.n7tr.com
>
>

Hi Rich;

You may wish to include the M2 40M4L in your analysis as the boom length vs
boom length comparison to F12 MAG 340N is a "straddle" deal. (MAG340N has a
35' boom and M2 40M4L is 42' boom while 40M3L is a 30' boom and MAG 240N is
a
24' boom).

Anyhow, I just finished construction on a M2 40M3L here and will be getting
it and my new tower up in the next week or so. Unfortunately height limit
here is 75' so I wont be able to give you performance impressions akin to
what you will have at 150' ft, ;-)

Several folks here nr in the Phoenix area, notably KC7V and K1MY, have M2
40M4L antennas up at decent heights and are quite pleased. You may wish to
email them.

As far as the construction goes I can only give you my experiences. I havent
built a MAG340N but do hear they, like all the rivetted antennas, go
together
very quickly. I also hear that they need a bunch of trips up and down the
tower to tune things but eventually play quite well for the owners. Local
here, K7KR, has one.

The 40M3L kit has LOTS of pieces, something that KLM/M2 have been noted for
over the years, hi. I built it a hour or two at a time and it probably took
me 10-12 hours all totalled. Hardware is all 304 stainless, nice stuff.
There
were several small mistakes/omissions in the assembly manual but none of
these were a big deal or cost me any significant time. Just obvious stuff if
you are an experienced antenna builder. In addiiton, I did have a inadequate
swedged boom half section that needed replacing. In defense of M2 though,
Matt and Wyatt worked with me through the small difficulties and even
quickly
sent me a properly machined half boom section so I could complete the
antenna
quickly. No problems with them at all!

Performance-wise, I guess you should ask me again in a couple of months, ;-)

Good luck, and let me know what you find out. TNX.

73,Bob K8IA
Mesa, Arizona USA
near the Superstition Mtns
------------------------------

Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 16:00:13 +0000
From: "ted demopoulos" <kr1g at hotmail.com>
To: rich at n7tr.com, towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 3 Ele 40 of Choice?
Message-ID: <BAY1-F215Xjs5FGJziW000248de at hotmail.com>
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Message: 7

I'd vote the the M2 40M3FS - a fullsize monster NOT yet on their website,
I've had it up over a year and am very impressed by it. In fact, I like it
so much I think I'll go climb the tower and visit it today :)

73
Ted KT1V






>From: Rich Hallman - N7TR <rich at n7tr.com>
>To: towertalk at contesting.com
>Subject: [TowerTalk] 3 Ele 40 of Choice?
>Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 20:36:11 -0800
>
>Looking at the 3 Element 40 meter beams between Force 12 and M2.  Seems to
>be a vast difference in price.  What are the comments and experiences out
>there and overall recommendations for a solid 3 Element 40 Meter Beam...
>
>Looking to install one at 150ft...But ultimately will be stacking.
>
>Thanks...
>Rich N7TR
>www.n7tr.com
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
>Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any
>questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
>_______________________________________________
>TowerTalk mailing list
>TowerTalk at contesting.com
>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk


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