Welcome to the web site of M0KTY

Testing times!

This page is devoted to days out!

It's not all about Amateur Radio you know?

Our portable days have become as much a "social" event as radio equipment and aerial testing. It's a chance to get out for the day, let the grass off being cut for another weekend, meeting friends and family members for a BBQ and a few cold cans of fizzy!

A few of us, namely Paul (M0XLD) Dave (G7AKM) and myself plus who ever wants to come along normally meet at a special location which is ideal for radio as it sits within 6' of the waters edge and the surrounding ground is generally water logged with salt water. Those in the know realise how RF currents benefit from this.

Anyway, here is a photo of Paul's homemade delta loop constructed from two fibreglass poles and a continuous wire running through. This is the aerial shown in the foreground with the thin wire joining the uprights horizontally.

This photo on the left shows myself and my Daughter Katie.

She takes a keen interest in radio operating (listening only) and one day might get the confidence to take her "Foundation" class license.

We set up the two antenna's but unfortunately the bands were quiet on the day. It didn't matter though as Paul emerged from his van with a portable BBQ and the biggest water melon you ever saw!. I'm not joking, it made a bowling ball look small! Most of the few contacts we made between us were UK local, however Paul did manage Ireland on 10m's. Removing the black pips from the water melon kept us busy!

You can see by the clouds and colour of the sky that precipitation was imminent!

We both made the decision to pack up the kit and fortunately just as we were dismantling Paul's Gazebo the heavens opened. We managed to get packed up without getting too wet, and travelled home. The day was not memorable as far as radio work, but a great day out! 

The vertical antenna shown above is about as simple as you can get!

The construction is a 10m telescopic fibreglass pole. Don't use any pole that has a carbon content as this can reduce the ability to radiate and cause other problems.

The pole is mounted onto an Aluminium 90° 1 meter long L angle which is strapped to the fibreglass with bungee straps. I have also sleeved a 1m section of the fibreglass pole with some standard 50mm white pvc poly pipe found on the shelves of the local B&Q store. This gives the fibreglass some additional strength across it's weakest point. Within the fibreglass tube is a 2.5mm² multi-strand insulated wire running from the tip and extending approx 200mm out of the base.

This is then connected directly into a "Pro-Whip" Un-Un and then into the LDG Z11 pro auto-tuner. This tuner really is exceptional as it runs for ever on 9-12 volt batteries. Connected to the other terminal of the Un-un is a long role of 2.5mm² multi-strand wire counterpoise which is purely laid on the ground as far out as possible.

The Z11 pro, battery holder, Pro-Whip Un-Un and spare batteries are all placed into an "Asda" air tight food container and laid at the base of the antenna. Try and keep the length of vertical wire out of the base as short as possible to the Un-Un and tuner. 

This decreases the loss and enables the tuner to match 50 Ohms along the coax feed line to the rig. I have also wound approx 15 turns of coax around a 200mm forma as an "RF Choke" as close to the tuner as possible.