Over the last few weeks, Frank has been working on upgrading our antenna towers. We're still not finished, and hope to raise the last one today. There are many details that Frank will explain in a future article, but for today, you get a pictorial of our progress. Please feel free to ask questions in the comment section. We have learned a lot doing this project and are very pleased with the outcome so far.
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| Prayer is healthy. |
This has been, and continues to be, a big project for us. We are very excited about increasing our ability to communicate via radio, whether it is GMRS, MURS, CB or ham radio. This is a very important part of our survival plans. If at all possible, we want to know what is coming down the road before it gets here, and you should want to know, too. Don't get on the truck.
Until next time - Fern
I am so jealous.
ReplyDeleteCarl in the UP
Hi, Carl. Did you know that if you drive a metal post in the ground and nurture it, it will grow into an adult antenna tower? I kid you not. And then it will spread, until you have an antenna farm. Take care. Time to be able to communicate.
DeleteFrank
Can you give me a list of necessary equipment for someone who is wanting to start with HAM communication? We're studying for the test, and should take it next month. We have no communication equipment, live on a hill, and have welding and construction skills. We have no idea as to where to start. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteStart with a good book on electric and electronic theory and construction. Spend a lot of time looking for/at what other hams have in the air. Then don't get discouraged. If amateur/ham radio were easy, everyone would have one and it'd be like CB.
DeleteOh, yes, listen a lot and learn the language and how to communicate in an emergency (or any other time, hopefully.) That'd be succinctly and remembering you have to open the mike before you talk in it and close it before you cut off some important piece of information. Rag chewing, as it called, is just that in today's world -- largely uninteresting because the "chewers" have nothing at the top, above the mic to chew on. It took me all the years I have accumulated (83 now) to learn all of that 'cause I found talking more easy than listening.
Hi Grammy. While you're studying for your Technician, go ahead and study for your General. Use the Romanchik manuals and the free practice tests at QRZ.com. Forget theory and all that other gizmo stuff, just pass the test. Some folks at the local ARRL club can be handy. Many of them are just dead weight. Try to find somebody that you can communicate with honestly. Avoid the dead weight.
DeleteThe Boafeng radios are handy and inexpensive. They are VHF/UHF. They will connect with your ham repeater, GMRS, FRS and MURS. Learn what NVIS means and how to use it. This is where your General license comes in handy. For this you will need an HF radio, many to choose from, check out the IC-718.
Don't let the dead weight tell you that you can't do what you want to do. Go to Frank's Radio Communications on the right hand column of this blog. The testing information has expired, but read it anyway along with the other articles. Don't forget the humble CB radio. The IC-718, when modified, will provide you with an HF radio, a shortwave radio and a real nice CB radio. You'll need all the accessories to go with everything mentioned above. Learn NVIS. Read Frank's Radio Communications, and don't let anyone tell you you can't do it. Take care, best of luck.
Frank
Fern, and Frank,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on getting up your antenna exactly as you planned. I'm going to show Bulldog Man this post when he gets home. He's going to be happy and a little green at the same time. What a great post!!!
Before you put the ladder away, stand there and imagine where the hardware and coaxial lines will attract moisture and where it will settle to before it freezes.
DeleteHi, Sandy. We were able to put up our 3rd tower Saturday afternoon. This completes the tower project part, except for a little painting and finish work. It takes time to get these projects done, it also takes a lot of planning, and it takes a lot of dealing with failure. I'm glad I still have time to fail, because tomorrow may be too late. Take care.
DeleteFrank
Thank you for your contribution. This is not a joke, and I'm not trying to be funny. I go outside, stand and just look at projects, to see how this fits and that goes. This provides me the opportunity to find mistakes that are coming and correct some of them before they ever occur. Good advice, plan ahead, find weaknesses while you still have time. Thanks again.
DeleteFrank
A little Green, but I still have only My Tech licence.
ReplyDeleteNose to the grind stone when we return to Oregon
Thank you, Rosco. Use whatever method of study works best for you. As mentioned in another comment, learn NVIS, it might save your life. There are some old hams that have never heard of it. Some will tell you it's useless, but they're wrong. NVIS.
DeleteFrank
Cannot for the life of me figure out how you raised that tower with the tractor being so close! All the Bergy tilt towers I have put up or down required about a 40 foot gin pole attached at the base of the tower and it, the pole was sticking up nearly perpendicular to the titled down tower. Then a cable was attached to the top of the gin pole, (before standing it up) and then hooked to a good sized heavy tractor. Another cable is attached from the top of the gin pole to the top of the tower. Pull on the gin pole with the truck, down it comes and up goes the 10 KW, 900 pound generator. Oh yeah, the cable from the top of the gin pole came down and through a snatch block located out at one of the guy wire bases. been about 20 years since I 've done that. Hope it all makes sense!
ReplyDeleteHi, Everett. Well, this is not quite as complicated as raising a wind turbine. Here in a couple of days, I'm going to present an article detailing the tower process. Mine was real simple. A permanently based anchor with a pulley attached to the side of a structure, in place of a gin pole. I'll provide pictures in a few days. Attach the cable to the tower, through the pulley, to the tractor, and go slow. And pray. Heavy on the prayer. That's it. I did have some concern about possibly pulling the side of a building down, but it didn't happen.
DeleteI've not seen any of those big yellow generators in a long time. They were the rage for a while though. Take care.
Frank
This is so exciting, I know you must be pleased as punch.
ReplyDeleteWe are happy, Leigh, and the neat part is, it actually worked and no one got hurt. Need to finish some detail work. I've got one more antenna to install, which for me will be new and an experiment. I won't put it up for a few days. Thank you for your nice words.
DeleteFrank
Keep up the good work on your comms! Love to see these articles, pictures and videos of antenna farms, radios, coax questions, etc! Great job!!
ReplyDelete