[VHFcontesting] FW: install pictures rover and questions answered..

[frank bechdoldt]

I forgot, you cant post pictures, sorry Gene.   
 
anyone wanting pictures can e-mail me dirrectly
k3uhf




From: k3uhf at hotmail.comTo: jdausilio at gmail.com; jamesduffey at comcast.net; vhfcontesting at contesting.comSubject: install pictures rover and questions answered..Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:45:12 -0700


You might havr to rotate a couple of these.My e-mail program sucks.... IE no spell checker...  To answer a few questions.Ther moxon has roved 3 or 4 times.  IT has hit many a pine tree.It has a 3/4' aluninum square stock on the DE.  It is much better at hitting leaves and small branches than a small yagi. You can see that I havent placed the 2 meter beam on yet.  I think I will have to back brace the chain link fence rube for the 6 meter mast to do that. Of course I will try to avoid that. Perhaps I will use the last spoake pipe mounted on the head ache rack. Yesterday I ran 200 miles on this on I-5 at 75 mph.  The headache rack flexes a bit, but when I stopped to check it. All 4 1/4 20 bolts were firmly attached. I drilled and tapped the 3/4 aluninum support pipes and used brass screws to avoid stripping.  They seem to hold the masts well.  I have to change out one of the pipe clampo sets.  I wanted to use stainless steel clamps, but they are not the exact fit for the pipe/ strut combination.  I will check lowes for a good 1 1/4 pipe clam. I have some plain steel ones but they are not shinny like the others and I like leaving the pipes on the rack.  I don't notice them in the rear view window.   I have 10 more yards of dirt to move, so I will take these out.  I think I will drill out my taps and pin all the masts like a trailer attachment. If I go with 2 10 foot fence masts, I will have to pread them out a bit and the stacked elk antennas will be more centered.  I may go to the metal store and get 8' 3/4 aluninum rods instead of the rod stystme I have now.  IE the M2 loop mast is 2 3/4 inch rods with a 3/4 id conduit used as a splice. The idea here is to use 1/2 of the antenna for normal opperations and attcahed the phasing harnesses and 2nd antennas for contests only.  To my wifes dismay I have had the loops on the rigs with no real issues for a couple of months.  And yes I can raise it another 12 inches for that bottom 2 meter loop. What is missing so far is the 33 element 903 mhx antenna and 44 element 1.3 ghz antenna (loopers).  It will go about a foor off the roof of the truck.  If they go much higher they get alot of leverage under the wind and I never noticed much more gain and I get alot more loop dammage to the antennas when exposed to leaf/ branch dammage.  I may even just branch off to the side of the headache rack with the two antennas. SO I dont have to take them down. The plan would be to leave enough slack in the lines to pull the masts out and lean them over the end of the tail gate or in the back of the bed.  or perhaps a rack. Also missing is the amps.  They are in a box that can be taken off the roof tower base and placed on the rack or the wood racks not pictured yet.  The wood racks could be made to hold the antennas when down.  As well as a tarp top for a cot when sleeping in the back.  Also I may attempt to computer control everything from the lap top mount. Not sure if there is enough time for that. As for gas mileage 18.4 mpg with the antennas on. 21 on flat ground.  Dodge cummings 5.9 with modified air intake. NO rfi.  I hope to get 24 mpg witrh a 5 inch exhaust and new computer chip. I have yet to get the arrl to give me more points for a good qso per gallon of fuel rate. 73sk3uhf   > Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:40:20 -0400> From: jdausilio at gmail.com> To: JamesDuffey at comcast.net> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] new rover> CC: vhfcontesting at contesting.com; k3uhf at hotmail.com> > I've had pretty bad luck with mine, running at 11 1/2 feet. Just broke> my latest one on VHF weekend, I'm sticking the Saturn 6 up there for> Sept ;)> > de w1rt/john> > On Sat, Aug 23, 2008 at 12:36 PM, James Duffey <JamesDuffey at comcast.net> wrote:> > I am curious as to your experiences roving with a 6M Moxon. How does> > it hold up at 13 feet while in motion? How does the truck drive with> > that large antenna up that high? I am thinking of making one that is> > switchable in direction.




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