[amsat-bb] Largest cross-yagi ever?

[Scott]

>>Is this the blimp less the yagi?

Looks about right, or very similar!



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----Original Message----- 
From: Mvivona
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2016 12:07 PM
To: Scott
Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Largest cross-yagi ever?

Is this the blimp less the yagi?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Blimp_MZ-3#/media/File%3AHandlers_prepare_to_launch_the_U.S._Navy_MZ-3A_manned_airship_for_an_orientation_flight_from_Naval_Air_Station_Patuxent_River%2C_Md.%2C_on_Nov._6%2C_2013_131106-N-PO203-532.jpg


Michael Vivona
Sent from my iPad

On Jun 14, 2016, at 6:35 PM, Scott <scott23192 at gmail.com> wrote:

So today I’m driving through rural Virginia near my home and as I come 
around a corner, the sky is FULL of a very low-flying white blimp.  In years 
past the Goodyear blimp as well as the one from Met-Life have flown over, so 
while it was neat to see a blimp, it wasn’t the first time.

Anyway, I pulled over to take a closer look because this one was different. 
You could clearly see U.S. Navy markings but what really stuck out was that 
on top of the blimp, running its full length, was what appeared to be a 
cross-yagi antenna approximately equal to the inflated size of the blimp 
itself.  This thing was HUGE!

Obviously it could have been anything, but it sure looked like an antenna to 
me.  My iPhone would not have taken a picture with enough zoom to show any 
detail, but I got a good look through binoculars.

By chance has anyone seen this type of structure on a blimp or have any 
insight on its use?  If you can imagine the inflated diameter of a full-size 
blimp, that was the length of the radials.  As for length, as I mentioned it 
ran the full length of the spine of the blimp itself.  Quite a site!

-Scott,  K4KDR
Montpelier, VA  USA