Re: Topband: sorry wrong number
I also received a spool of the wire today, brand new in original box. It is a good buy, but still cost twice what I paid for a couple of 2km spools of the same wire at about $60.00 each with shipping about 1 year ago. On 6/8/2018 7:39 PM, terry burge wrote: I finally called the Sportsmans Guid number 800-888-3006 and received a spool of the Military phone wire. It looks brand new and the price even with shipping was $28.98 which seems great to me. Plan to use it for radials and maybe another beverage. Terry KI7M On May 31, 2018 at 2:54 PM N7DF via Topband wrote: should be 2068-625526 https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/us-military-surplus-20-gauge-phone-cable-new?a=2185687 _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: sorry wrong number
I built eight custom Beverage antenna boxes for the late Milt Jensen, with transformers to match some similar wire (WD-1A?). He was VERY happy with those Beverages!! But I don't make Beverage boxes or transformers anymore. Maybe if I retire ... ;-) 73, Mike www.w0btu.com On Fri, Jun 8, 2018 at 6:39 PM, terry burge wrote: > I finally called the Sportsmans Guid number 800-888-3006 and received a > spool of the Military phone wire. It looks brand new and the price even > with shipping was $28.98 which seems great to me. Plan to use it for > radials and maybe another beverage. > Terry > KI7M > > On May 31, 2018 at 2:54 PM N7DF via Topband > wrote: > > > > > > should be 2068-625526 > > https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/us-military- > surplus-20-gauge-phone-cable-new?a=2185687 > _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: sorry wrong number
I finally called the Sportsmans Guid number 800-888-3006 and received a spool of the Military phone wire. It looks brand new and the price even with shipping was $28.98 which seems great to me. Plan to use it for radials and maybe another beverage. Terry KI7M > On May 31, 2018 at 2:54 PM N7DF via Topband wrote: > > > should be 2068-625526 > https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/us-military-surplus-20-gauge-phone-cable-new?a=2185687 > > > > _ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: BUG (beverage underground)
Signals from the zenith are going to be weak, but there should be some. I'm curious how it does as a radiotelescope! 'JK On Friday, June 8, 2018 11:36 AM, N7DF via Topband wrote: I recently had a 250 foot deep test well drilled near my hamshack and the well was powder dry all the way down so rather than waste a perfectly good hole in the ground I dropped a wire down it all the way to the bottom and hooked it up to my receiver it was totally quiet of powerline noise while my above ground beverage had a 3 Db noise The BUG did not pick up any radio signals either but you cannot have everything _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: BUG (beverage underground)
I recently had a 250 foot deep test well drilled near my hamshack and the well was powder dry all the way down so rather than waste a perfectly good hole in the ground I dropped a wire down it all the way to the bottom and hooked it up to my receiver it was totally quiet of powerline noise while my above ground beverage had a 3 Db noise The BUG did not pick up any radio signals either but you cannot have everything _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Biodegradable staples
My 2 pennies... regarding the "durability" of staples in the wild; I'm an avid metal detectorist using a detector that costs as much as a new K3s. Iron has a particular characteristic when detected as does other metals like silver, copper & gold. I usually ignore iron/steel readings on the screen & the audible tones accompanying it, just too many old nails in the ground and they are everywhere. However... an old bit of iron with a bend in it can also register with the same values as silver so I have to dig when I find that. You have no idea how many times I have dug 14" down only to find a 1/2" bit of wire the thickness of a staple that has been sitting for easily 100 years in acidic New England soil. We think of things degrading quickly but they do not. Thin bits of iron will be around for a very long time. As a side thing, the aluminum pull tabs from the 60's ring up much like 14K gold. Because I find hundreds of them I decided to make one of the old "love chains" from these that we used hang from the rear view mirror back in the 60's. Those pull tabs are in the same condition today as 40 years ago. Metals last in the ground a very long time. 73, Gary KA1J > You should never use steel staples in the ground. Think for a minute. > They are sharp, rusty objects that stay a long time. Imagine a > barefoot child playing in the area (after you are SK possibly). > Imagine a lawn mower grabs a piece of radial wire and jerks it out of > the ground with wire staples attached. > > All you need to do is buy or make wooden dowels, drill a hole and > string them along the radial and pound down in. Only need to be 4 > inches long. Simple, cheap, safe. > > > Rick K2XT > > > From: Topband on behalf of > cqtestk4xs--- via Topband Sent: Wednesday, > June 6, 2018 8:54:59 PM To: topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: > Topband: Biodegradable staples > > I recently laid down about 6000 staples. After several months most of > them are starting to really get crusty rust with all the rain we get > at this QTH. They'll be pretty much gone in a couple of years...no > need to worry about biodegradable out here, or in most wet areas. > > > > -Original Message- > From: N2TK, Tony > To: topband > Sent: Wed, Jun 6, 2018 7:10 pm > Subject: Topband: Biodegradable staples > > Somewhere recently someone had mentioned somewhere about > biodegradable staples for radials. Getting ready to cut the grass real > close and start adding radials. I like the idea of the biodegradable > parts over the steel staples I have. > > Tnx > > N2TK, Tony _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 186, Issue 7
Rick, Think another minute. A guy might need 6000 of them - he cant cut and drill those, much less string nearly 100 of them along each long radial, possibly hundreds of them. The steel ones degrade in a few years anyway. The point side is down, and they don't come up easily. Your mower is no more likely to throw one than any rock or other random object common in lawns. Has anyone ever heard of an accident with them? I haven't. I'm more concerned with lightning, and falling while climbing. Radial staples aren't too high on my list. 73, Drew K3PA -- Message: 2 Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2018 20:29:56 + From: Rick Stealey To: "topband@contesting.com" Subject: Re: Topband: Biodegradable staples Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" You should never use steel staples in the ground. Think for a minute. They are sharp, rusty objects that stay a long time. Imagine a barefoot child playing in the area (after you are SK possibly). Imagine a lawn mower grabs a piece of radial wire and jerks it out of the ground with wire staples attached. All you need to do is buy or make wooden dowels, drill a hole and string them along the radial and pound down in. Only need to be 4 inches long. Simple, cheap, safe. Rick K2XT * _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Adding chicken wire or mesh on top of radial field
Some field experiment results from 2016 Location: large farm field Antenna: Inverted L, using two 21m masts Note: this theoretically puts Rs at around 18 Ohm Ground: - Checken mesh: 6 pieces 8x1m crossed under the TX vertical, which offers almost 100% coverage at 8m diameter - PVC insulated copper-wire radials, 40 pcs 85ft/25m Antenna Analyzer: AA-54 After finalizing the antenna Z=28.2 Ohm Two days later we dismantled the antenna, but performed some intermediate measurements. chicken Mesh + 40 radials Z= 25.4 Ohm (lower because the inv-L part started to sag) chicken mesh +40 radials(rads all electrically disconnected) Z=33.4 Ohm chicken mesh only (radials removed from site) Z=38.7 Ohm I can not draw any conclusions from this single setup experiment. Pictures available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/pa5mw/albums/72157663223247069/with/24490646102/ 73 Mark, PA5MW On 6/3/2018 10:14 PM, Peter Bertini wrote: Why would bonding the added matting be required if it is laid over or beneath an existing radial field? It reduces ground losses regardless. Peter _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
