[TowerTalk] Testing C-3 near ground

[Al Kozakiewicz]

I'm refurbishing an old F12 C-3 that is currently disassembled, and looks like it has been for at least a decade.  The tower it is going on isn't here yet and won't be for a few weeks.

I'd like to assemble and do some testing before I put it up sufficient to make sure I don't have any bad joints or assembly mistakes. Having both an analyzer and a VNA, what, if anything, can I do while it is in the proximity of the ground?  I'll be doing the assembly work on sawhorses, but I could mount it on a 10' mast supported by a ladder after it is together for testing. I don't expect to make meaningful VSWR or bandwidth measurements, but since the 15 and 10 meter elements are fed parasitically, it would be comforting to know that there aren't any major issues before I put it up for real.

Al
AB2ZY