209 base station tour photos

[209 first class]

dr,good suggestion, i dont think the tower/rotor would handle 2 -6 element beams. i did however, go larger on windload for both, because i know in a year or two after i have enjoyed the 6 element improvement, i hear you can 'graft' beams together, i will graft on my old 3 element maco and adjust the elements and mount for a 9 element flatside.must be somthing about the hilly terrain out here, many times when i talk skip, so many people come back i can not make out thier numbers, i can hear them all calling mine and covering each other up. it is actually more fustrating than noone answering at all ! i need serious rejection and tight narrow pattern, i think im on my way there. 209

[drdx]

Its easy do do the math and make it as big as you want, and if the maco elements were a little lighter duty, just use them as directors. The shaky part of mixing parts, etc is the boom length and diameter, connection hardware wise. You'd probably be best off finding a wrecked monobander for 20 or even 40, or a large tribander with a boom that is long enough to do the deal, and it will have support hardware most likely too. I'd try for something in the 36 ft. range with 8 or nine elements, and you'd need a big rotor, a ham 4 or a tailtwister, at minimum. Yagis of a wavelenght or less boomlength wise are easy to make work and aren't as picky in terms of element placement so it would work well with uniform placement, although there are a lot of good progrrams out there to check out for optimization. -drdx

[209 first class]

whew, honestly after hoisting that tower up (with the antenna attatched !) and almost having an accident with it.( it started to swing to one side, if i hadent had those T poles to push it with, it woulda swayed sideways more and bent the tower at the base. we hoisted it up with a large atv.) id be afraid to bring it down again to work on it only had one contact, (mean man in bermuda) but i have heard him before and dialed him in with the 3 element, but i really notice a huge difference in the narrowness of the pickup pattern ! it is very tight. i picked up people on the 6 element i could not hear at all on the 3 element. the 3 element used to let me hear people i couldent hear on the antron. the antron would let me hear people i could barely make out in the mobile. its been a great progession, i enjoyed every step. im sure i wll be satisfied for years with the 6. i have to post a pic of it to finish the station tour. thanks for your input. 209

[Junior-TX]

i have that exact same power supply, anything that can be done to bring it back to perfect working order

[rev ike]

hi 209 lookin good man! i know the sixes will do better i have threes and i pay attention to what others can hear and i think i would hear better if my antenna were bigger. i know what you mean also about the pileups on the recieve but if you get more power thats even more people who hear you that cant get back to you but at least you can pick some out with your antenna which is what i have to do sometimes happy dx ing

[209 first class]

junior, im sorry i did not understand your question. i dont know how to fix them, i think thats what you were asking. what is wrong with yours? ike : good points man ! i usually use only what i need for power to get out, i start low. im hoping the narrower pattern will allow me to use even less, and to hear less stations (yeah, sounds backwards huh but i know you know what im talkin about). you may be right, instead of hearing 6 stations come back to me from the southeast, i might hear 6 stations from the same state and have the same trouble,lol. if so thats ok, i will enjoy the power increase. thanks everyone for the compliments. 209

[209 first class]

the paint worked better than expected, i know where it is and it is hard to see thru the trees from the house. here is a pic of the ground system. thick gauge pure copper strap for the rf ground, goes up and connects to where the mast attaches to the antenna. all connections were crimped and soldered with automotive 0 rings and copper clamps, then sprayed with enamel paint, sealing them. (even the entire shiny copper strap )the 8 foot ground rod would not go in all the way, but there is also a smaller diameter 4 foot one, and a 3 foot copper plumbing pipe at the end which is copper capped. there is a solid heavy copper wire from the tower base to all 3 for lightning/static protection. i had read on real am/fm/microwave radio tower sites a lightning and an rf ground are both required. i had also read about braid/solid/strap for rf ground, the strap is the best. i know now because my 3element which is only grounded with solid round wire is much more noisy(static) than the 6 element. for some reason the rf does not try to travel back up the strap as much as with braid or even worse, wire. i almost felt dumb spending 63$ on copper strap,and 3 ground stakes,propane torch, solder flux ect, but i would not rest easy if it was not done they way it is suggested. now im glad i did. 2 last pics... 209

[209 first class]

thank you bytor! thats cool, i collect stuff too. antiques, knives, buncha stuff. we have vintage audio in common. i was collecting stereo tube amps for awhile from the 50-60's. my favorite speakers are the old altec dual concentrics. i used to hang out in the vintage section of audio asylum, its a great forum. 209

[Slim Jim]

Hey 209, Great looking setup! I've got a silly question for you: In that first picture that you posted, what is that thing standing all the way to the right? A big ole' ant farm??? I'm just not seeing what it is?

[209 first class]

lol slim, i guess it does look like an ant farm. its a big ole 1950's speaker cabinet with the funky pattern on the grille. on top is a sony cd player(not too vintage), a sansui to-9900 from the 70's and a challenger tube mono amp from the 60's. 209

[Slim Jim]

O, I got ya now! I was wondering! I guess that would've been more like an "ant-country"!!! Nice setup, man.