August meeting featured Craig KDOYTI with 2 vertical antennas, both easy to set up like at a park or for Field Day. In the picture here, Craig is putting together his JPC-12 center loaded vertical. It comes in a bag that’d fit easily into your laptop computer carry-on bag, and screws together in half a dozen sections, the one at the end where you put a whip on top being an adjustable coil.
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Craig’s first display was the larger Wolf River Coil, also adjustable, but with both coarse and fine modes. Slide the white plastic thing up and down for number of turns and then fine tune it by turning it along one of the wires. Craig tunes both antennas with an MFJ SWR meter before using them.
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Wolf River Coil (80 – 6M) $125
Tripod base $40
17ft whip $85
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JPC-12 kit (in bag) $135
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ALPHA FULL METAL JACKET antenna
(not shown because it’s $550)
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Remembering the rule that Every Antenna Has Two Parts, Craig also had a set of eight (8) radials, teflon insulated copper wires, that attach to either antenna and may be set out quickly (as long as they don’t cross over each other). A circular fastener (like a washer) on 1 end of each radial, fastens easily to one leg of the tripod or ground mount on either antenna.
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Paul GXD brought an antenna also, but everyone thought it was a whirligig wind generator at first. Its multiple turns of #24 wire on a form to make a loop antenna. He puts it into either a radio receiver or VNA (one of those fifty dollar analyzer things) and then finds the source of noise near his house. Hasn’t found it yet. Paul turned off the main circuit breaker to determine the noise was NOT coming from his own house.
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Hey wait a minute. On a loop antenna does it receive broadside or off the ends? I forget which they said. The null is much sharper and better for direction finding. (Look for a low S meter reading.)
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In the course of the business meeting, Rich ZQG suggested moving the .82 nets over to our UHF .225 repeater because .82 doesn’t work well. We approved a motion to do so until .82 gets better. Look for the Tuesday Conspiracy; Wednesday club net, and Saturday Noon Swap Net on 442.225 in the future. (Not C4FM, just regular old FM)
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Don WOAF suggested we ought to be more public with our activities to attract public attention and perhaps more members. (Like the 2nd Saturday Lake Manawa portable radio demos, and upcoming Veteran’s Day Parade Nov 4th.)
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ZQG also offered a couple lengths of low loss coax for $25 each, hundred foot lengths, but there were no takers. Look for them to show up on the Saturday Noon Swap Net on .225.
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NOTE: HF vertical antennas have often featured coils in the design. Ed KDOCVG brought one with an air wound coil to Field Day a couple of times that used an alligator clip with a wire to tap into it depending on the band used.