[amsat-bb] Elk set-up [was: Homebrew Elk-style 14/435 mhz log periodic for sats?]
Bill Dzurilla
billdz.geo at yahoo.com
Sat Apr 18 12:11:55 PDT 2009
I have ordered an Elk. Any set-up tips? I see they recommend using a PVC T-connector to attach the antenna to the mast. This aims the antenna parallel to the ground. How to mount it for a fixed 20 degree elevation?
Also, as this antenna has only one feedline, is there any way to mount preamps for both 70cm and 2m?
Thanks and 73, Bill NZ5N
--- On Sat, 4/18/09, Rafael Valdez G. <rafavaldez at hotmail.com> wrote:
> From: Rafael Valdez G. <rafavaldez at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: Homebrew Elk-style 14/435 mhz log periodic for sats?
> To: "n3tl at bellsouth.net " <n3tl at bellsouth.net>, "billdz.geo at yahoo.com " <billdz.geo at yahoo.com>, "nss at mwt.net " <nss at mwt.net>
> Cc: "amsat-bb at amsat.org " <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> Date: Saturday, April 18, 2009, 12:04 AM
> Defiinetely your solution for hoa is the elk as far a I
> understand you can have a Tv. Antenna which te elk can
> fairly look like....
>
> I am a true believer of Elk' eficiency and
> portability...
>
> GL 73's
>
> XE2RV
> VUCC 164 satellite
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: n3tl at bellsouth.net
>
> Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 03:52:03
> To: <billdz.geo at yahoo.com>; <nss at mwt.net>
> Cc: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>;
> <billdz.geo at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Homebrew Elk-style 14/435 mhz log
> periodic for sats?
>
>
> Hey Bill,
>
> Your comments about construction, location, etc., are
> right one, based on my experiences here. I actually move
> from one side of the house to the other depending on whether
> passes are to my east or west.
>
> A couple of other things affect the performance I'm
> getting, too. One of the most important is that my decision
> to continue using a handheld antenna means I have less than
> six feet of coax from the radio to the antenna. I'm
> still getting some loss, but not nearly as much as I'd
> get by putting antennas in the attic and running much longer
> feed lines to them. Another is a little trick K4DLG in
> Florida passed along to me a while back.
>
> He has a log periodic for HF, and the coax runs from the
> antenna feedpoint along the main boom to the back of the
> antenna before heading down to the shack. Taking that lead,
> he did the same thing with the Elk he bought. Doing so
> mitigated any significant changes in SWR due to moving the
> antenna around while hand-holding it during a pass. I tried
> it here and have observed the same thing. For me, at this
> location (inside or out), 8 degrees of elevation was the
> best I could hope for with the Arrow I had. In all the
> months I used that antenna, I made only a few contacts when
> a given satellite was below 8 degrees here. When I started
> using the Elk, that "bottom line" immediately
> dropped to 4 degrees. And when I tried K4DLG's
> suggestion of running the feedline parallel to the boom, the
> 4 degrees dropped to 3.
>
> And, as you point out, depending on the location and
> relative path of a given pass, I can work even lower and
> make contacts, as I have with some stations in Europe on
> AO-7.
>
> All of that being said, I also still lose the satellites
> due to obstruction, as you have observed with your Arrow.
> When it comes to the FM LEO satellites, only the ISS
> transmits back to us using more than milliwatt power levels.
> I know that AO-51 is capable of 1 watt or more, but it
> generally is not configured to transmit at those levels.
> Drew or someone, please correct me if that statement is
> inaccurate. The published stats on AO-27 report a nominal
> output of 500 mW, and SO-50 is reported to operate with a
> nominal 250 mW output. I believe both of them also use
> quarter-wave vertical antennas, which are 0-gain.
>
> Given those power levels, it doesn't take much to
> begin affecting reception, especially for handheld stations.
> From here at my home, that quarter of azimuth from 90
> degrees to 180 degrees is my worst. For really consistent
> reception in that part of the sky, I need upwards of 30
> degrees elevation when I'm standing outside at ground
> level. On the second floor of the house, I get reception
> good enough to facilitate contacts with about 15 degrees of
> elevation at azimuths from 90 degrees to about 130. I still
> need close to 30 from azimuth 130 to 180 no matter where I
> try to operate from - in the yard or upstairs.
>
> I hope you're able to come up with a solution for your
> location that works even better than you expect!
>
> 73 to all,
>
> Tim - N3TL
>
>
> -------------- Original message from Bill Dzurilla
> <billdz.geo at yahoo.com>: --------------
>
>
> >
> > Tim,
> > Yes, your QSO with F2IL is becoming famous, congrats.
> I think the performance of indoor antennas must be heavily
> dependent on the location of the shack and the construction
> materials used on the house. I moved my Eggbeater and ground
> plane to the attic from outside and noticed a sharp drop in
> performance. Also tried the Arrow here inside the shack and
> it did not do too well. And noticed that, even outside in
> the yard with the Arrow, I lose the sats at low elevation,
> when they drop below the level of nearby roof lines. On my
> DXpeditions to Swan Island and Jamaica, where there was
> unobstructed view over the ocean, I could easily make
> contacts with less than 1 degree of elevation with the same
> HT and
> > Arrow.
> >
> > 73, Bill NZ5N
> >
> >
> > --- On Fri, 4/17/09, n3tl at bellsouth.net wrote:
> >
> > > From: n3tl at bellsouth.net > Subject: Re:
> [amsat-bb] Re: Homebrew Elk-style 14/435 mhz log periodic
> for
> > sats?
> > > To: "Joe" , billdz.geo at yahoo.com
> > > Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> > > Date: Friday, April 17, 2009, 10:19 PM
> > > Bill and all,
> > >
> > > Joe is right. F2IL gave me a 569 report on AO-7
> Mode B
> > > Thursday evening - and I was hand-holding my Elk
> on the
> > > second floor of my house, pointing it to the
> northeast at a
> > > spot on a windowless wall. When we worked, AO-7
> was at
> > > roughly 3.5 degrees elevation here.
> > >
> > > I wish I had decided to try these low-angle
> passes months
> > > ago!
> > >
> > > 73 to all,
> > >
> > > Tim - N3TL
> > > -------------- Original message from Joe
> > > : --------------
> > >
> > >
> > > > You'd be amazed at what you can do with
> an indoor
> > > yagi also..
> > > >
> > > > My first 2 meter ant was a 3 ele quad on a
> photo
> > > tripod that sat right
> > > > next to me on the floor in the shack,
> > > >
> > > > Joe WB9SBD
> > > >
> > > > Bill Dzurilla wrote:
> > > > >Are there plans anywhere for a homebrew
> version of
> > > the Elk duo bander? After reading through the
> prior thread
> > > about the poor performance of Eggbeaters and
> other omnis,
> > > I'm ready to risk the wrath of my Homeowners
> Association
> > > and put up
> > > > a small beam.
> > > > >
> > > > >Or, anybody have an Elk for sale?
> > > > >
> > > > >73, Bill NZ5N
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> >_______________________________________________
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> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
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