VK Logger Ham Radio Forum Archive

Suppose you have a chance to activate a rare dx country and you can't put up a serious yagi for 6M, what would you do,
This is a serious question with serious consequences.
For one dxers hate poorly run dx operations.
For two if you are the dx all beams aim at you.
But you have to hear it to work it.
And don't give us the crap that if its open any antenna will do.

So all you field ops what worked for you.

Quote type
dx distance worked and
any other info.

1/. Put up a dipole and pray.
2/. Put up a 5/8 vertical and wish.
3/. Put up the suggested antenna and blame the one who sugegsted it.
3/. Don't go.

It is peak of cycle and maybe for second time in history some dx can work this country.
No second guesses where but it aint in the tep zone.
And there are weight and size limits and antenna type limits
(only verticals allowed apparently).

Wire antenna forbidden.

VK3OT

Hi Steve

Are you saying that only verticals can be used?

73

Wayne VK4WDM

When I worked for IPS on Cocos (Keeling) Islands over late-1972 / early-1973, I took with me a centre-fed coaxial colinear, 5-elements per side, erected about 5m above the sand, with the axis oriented kind-of NNE / SSW. The 'carrier' for the coax elements was hemp rope, about 5mm diameter. Simple, sturdy. Easily packed-and-carried.

I ran a voice-ident (crude tape loop) 6m beacon (AM) for a period over summer, which was heard in Perth (confirmed). On numbers of occasions I heard the VK8VF Darwin beacon rolling in S7-S9+ for hours on end. No contacts

As long-haul propagation to/from the DX(pedition) location will generally involve ionospheric modes, magneto-ionic splitting will see to it that polarization rotation occurs and signals end up being elliptically polarized. Hence, polarization is a bit of a lottery. Pick one.

I subsequently made a 2-elements/side centre-fed coaxial colinear for 6m that I used when I later did a stint at the IPS station in Townsville one March. I used it as a vertical, lashed to a wooden pole, and had fun working JA pile-ups.

If I were going to a DX location now, would I take a coaxial colinear again ? Mmmmaybe

My 2.3 cents (2c + GST + carbon tax).

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

(only verticals allowed apparently).

No wires due to bird strikes to endangered species.

I would have thought an albatross could hit a vertical as easlity as a horizontal??

All wire antenna and towers have been pulled.

M2 HO Stacked loops seem to come up trumps or 1/4 over 1/2 vertical (COMAN) or 5/8th vertical.
Can be set up using four magnetic mounts and taken down.


Roger

re IPS what does the IPS sounder use for an antenna and how often does it transmit?

1/2 wave vertical on metal pole at 20 feet
Work the world easy if you have prop

You could also try using a U dipole, the Dampier beacon is using one and is heard often

Its small would be easy to make portable and does not have to be all that high, have a look at viewtopic.php?f=47&t=8697
For a few pictures

I wonder how 4 phased switched verticals would go on 6m, think its called a 4 square

73 from Michael
VK6BHY
NWWA

This PC or gone mad! Macquarie Island and most other Antarctic bases, where there are plenty of "endangered birds" have towers and wire and yagi antennas and I have never heard of them being a problem.

73

Wayne VK4WD

A 50MHz 'Moxon Rectangle' has a bit of gain and an excellent f/b ratio.

My Moxon is of aluminium and wood and fits into the back seat area of my mid-size
(Subaru Liberty) sedan. On-line 'Moxon Calculators' here:-

http://w4.vp9kf.com/moxon_design.htm
and
http://www.moxonantennaproject.com/design.htm

Of course a Moxon Rectangle can be horizontal or vertical.......

As an aside, I used an (aluminium poles) Moxon Rectangle built for 14MHz for years on Kangaroo Island -
brilliant results from such a simple antenna.

VK4WDM wrote:This PC or gone mad! Macquarie Island and most other Antarctic bases, where there are plenty of "endangered birds" have towers and wire and yagi antennas and I have never heard of them being a problem.

73

Wayne VK4WD

To quote VK0KEV;;

>>Antenna restrictions?
Yes - Parks are not very tolerant of antennas, especially wire antennas and you will need permission from the station leader if you want to erect even a vertical.

All wire antennae were pulled down in 2009/2010 but lets not get into that assuming permission what is best given limitations fo 6M band?

VK6SIX wrote:1/2 wave vertical on metal pole at 20 feet
Work the world easy if you have prop

RMV beacon uses that and 80w no one hears it

Buying in HO Loops.

Steve VK3ZAZ asked:

Roger . . . re IPS what does the IPS sounder use for an antenna and how often does it transmit?

The IPS stations use deltas (think: half-rhombic), apex upwards. Generally, the ionosondes transmit every 5 minutes.

See: http://www.ips.gov.au/HF_Systems/1/3

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

Thanks Rog

11.3 mhz 100m away 100watts

Ant choice 4 stacked SQ Loops 9db gain over 3m bit like the 4 dipoles I used on RMV in 1980s worked really well

The M2's perform well and mine held up very well in the winter and freezing rain.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1100/

I've whacked it, banged it, and dragged it down the road. It keeps working. I regularly work mobile out to 125-150 miles. It also works great as a compact, transportable, temporary antenna for a fixed location. Well worth the money. Every VHF/UHF SSB operator ought to have a couple of these.

Hi Steve,

I asked the question a few months ago about what you were using for an antenna on the beacon, but you must have missed the question.

I see that you have been using a vertical, which expalins why I can't hear the beacon in Melbourne at any time, as I am listening on a horizontal.

When you get the horizontal loop stack going, I will be interested to listen for the beacon, especially just after sunrise on those still winter and spring days.

Cheers

Peter VK3QI

One things for sure nothign small will work

4 HO SQ loops ordered to be stacked above each other will runa beacon all being permitted.

MAWSON is being also activated and a beacon required for there as well.

4 HO SQ loops ordered to be stacked above each other

Should be good Steve. When I was a military op last century we used a stack of 4 rhombics on 37MHZ for some point to point links and they worked very well. I also remember a ZL4 station in the 1960's using stacked rhombics for 6m.

73

Wayne VK4WDM

A bit off topic seeing that wire is out but I seem to recall the the first Southern to Northern hemisphere and first Australian EME contact was made with a Rhombic on 6M by Ray VK3ATN way back when?

Ray's rhombics were several wave lenghts long. The squares and rhombics we are talking about are one WL and can be arranged on a monopole to comply with the "vertical" requirement.

Wayne VK4WDM

VK4WDM wrote:Ray's rhombics were several wave lenghts long. The squares and rhombics we are talking about are one WL and can be arranged on a monopole to comply with the "vertical" requirement.

Wayne VK4WDM

I'm glad you cleared that up for me Wayne cause them big hooers are buggers to steer.

VK4WDM wrote:Ray's rhombics were several wave lenghts long.

I think is an slight understatement, from memory they were monsters.

Mike K6MYC says we will have 9db

WIRES are OUT

I see the CY0 ops just fell foul of the rangers nd is off air due bird strike