[TowerTalk] Tower and Antenna Work

[Timothy A. Holmes]

Hi Folks:

Spent part of the day outside today re-rigging the balun on my 
ladderline fed doublet.  Got me thinking about my antenna system and the 
work that needs done to it.

The system is as follows:

135' doublet at ~40 feet fed with ladder line to a 4:1 balun and then 
coax to the radio
6m, 3 element beam -- fed with some sort of coax (Unknown type, Old) 
about 27 feet up on the tower
9 element 2m beam at about 24 feet on the tower -- fed with some sort of 
old unknown coax
3 element Tri-bander at 22 feet on the tower fed with (again) some sort 
of old unknown coax

I have all the equipment in the shack bonded together, but that system 
needs to be reworked, as does the outside ground as right now it is a 
hunk of old water pipe pounded a foot or so into the ground outside my 
window, connected to everything with braid.

The rotor is connected to the controller with two separate runs of cable 
(need to be replaced) because thats what I had available. as well the 
Uclamps on the top of the rotor need replaced

THe rotor is old, given to me by a friend, I dont remember the make and 
model of it, and Im too tired to go pull it off the tower to check -- LOL

the tower itself is 2 sections of tower -- made of what looks like 1"OD 
tubing with horizontal cross braces welded to the vertical legs.  Each 
face is about 14 inches across.  again, it as given to me.  Its mounted 
on a home made tilt over base which is spiked into the ground with 3, 3' 
spikes made from ground rod (copper over steel)

the cable run to the base of the tower is about 30 feet or so and tower 
top is 20 feet + Mast -- so longest runs should be short of 60 feet.

I am pretty sure I have the wrong sorts of coax on each antenna, as I 
grabbed whatever fit and hooked it up.

I do have a roll (maybe 100 feet or a little more ) of what appears to 
be 5/8" air dialectric hard line that I reclaimed from an upgraded cable 
TV installation years ago

My main interests are contesting, DXing and a little bit of VHF weak 
signals work.

Now for the questions.  What do I need to fix / replace and what do I 
need to do it with.  What recommendations do you have for cables, cable 
types, mounting systems etc etc etc -- I really want / need to improve 
my antenna system.

Secondly -- I would like to work on improving my low angle performance 
on 10, 15, 20 for DXing -- Im beginning modeling a wire vertical -- any 
suggestions.

The biggest problem with all of this is I am unemployed, so money is in 
short supply, raising the tower is not an option right now unless 
someone knows someone who has tower they want to donate to a worthy 
cause -- LOL

Ok -- thanks much -- any input/ideas that you have or any questions you 
might have, please let me know

TIM
W8TAH