Dr David Mills
First casualty of the wind this afternoon - my longwire antenna is now about half as long.
Mar 24 at 5:58pmWeb
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
I've ordered some decent kevlar wire to repair it. I should get a roof ladder too so I can fix my beams.
The 5 element 144 MHz beam has been totally trashed by birds landing on it.
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
That's not a horrifyingly bad match on 80m now. The shorter longwire.
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
Ignore the fact the VNA claims to only have been calibrated from 100Mhz to 300 MHz.
Show threadF4GRX Sébastien1d ago
@dtl calibrated full range by natural extrapolation.
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
@f4grx I'll wait for the next storm and sweep it again.
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
S9 noise on 80m. As usual.
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
The 144MHz beam recently
I didn't even realise the feeder was a tangled mess too.
Show threadImogen1d ago

@dtl

Oh my, that is not good.

Show threadIan1d ago
@dtl hehe bloody hell Dave
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
@mw0ian the elements only have a single screw to the boom, so they pivot. I'll fix that when I get it down.
Show threadIan1d ago
@dtl sorry if I over reacted 😊
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
@mw0ian perfectly valid answer to be honest.
Show threadCarlo IU1KGS 📻1d ago
@dtl mechanical fuses, have something easier to replace release the tension before the wire breaks.
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
@IU1KGS O used to have a bungee cord that took up the slack, but the UV wreaked that. I just tired it up before winter with the plan to fix it in spring.
Show threadjamesb (MW1CGG)1d ago
@dtl
What wire did you go for? I have to fix mine... AGAIN! I'm looking at kevlar wire for the radiating elements and dyneema for the support. Unfortunately it has to support 7.4m of ladder line too because all I can fit in is a G7FEK.
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
@jamesb This : https://dxcommander.com/product/dx50-wire-by-the-metre/
Show threadjamesb (MW1CGG)1d ago
@dtl
Thanks. Shame I refuse to deal with Callum.
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
@jamesb Wasn't my first choice, but was the cheapest.
Show threadPhilip Bragg1d ago
@dtl @jamesb I've never had a long wire fail and I've always used equipment wire that I've bought at car boot sales rather than anything designed for aerials.
Show threadTA4KHR1d ago
@jamesb @dtl
What about Racal stuff that can be found in rallies?
I have a spool with me just in case right now.
Show threadjamesb (MW1CGG)1d ago
@M0KHR That Racal stuff was good. I used to work just down the road from one of their places, near MOD Ashchurch and there was always useful things in the skip. @dtl
Show threadDr David Mills1d ago
@jamesb @M0KHR I've got a spool of that somewhere. I'll probably find it when the new wire arrives.
Show threadLászló1d ago
@dtl Mittelwelle.
Show threadThunderbolt931d ago
@StripeyYena @dtl Halbwelle?