I volunteered to assemble the new portable, foldable, 6 band wire beam when John, W1XX, asked for someone to assemble it, because of his storm related workload. Remind me not to volunteer again. 🙂  I have attached below some photos of this beam. It is not beautiful, but hopefully lack of physical beauty won’t adversely impact its performance. Right now with the tower only about 5 feet off the ground, the resonance/SWR indicates that it is indeed an antenna, but I don’t think I should attempt any adjustments because I can’t get it any higher in the air to provide more accurate readings.

This beam will require additional tweaking in the air before it is ready for Field Day but unfortunately I am unable to do it. I am going to copy and/or prepare some unpacking and repacking instructions and put them in plastic sleeves to be kept with the beam and the spare parts that were purchased with it. I will also do a practice “fold it up and put it away” and “unfold it and put it up” routines.

So I need to hand off this project to someone else who can get it higher in the air than I can and then see how the resonance and SWR look.

Here are the pictures. It is kinda tough to see any details of the antenna. I am not sure how this is going to work out on the web site, it’s worth a try..

73, Ken K3IU
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S. (11:15AM, Sat 5/26) – It’s now Sat morning and I guess I was crying “wolf” yesterday when I wrote the above. I spent a couple of hours this morning (after a good night’s sleep) making adjustments to the driven elements to move the resonant freq up into the bottom portion of each band using the MFJ-259B first and then connecting the beam to my K3s and Diamond SX-200 SWR & Power meter. Both methods more or less agree and indicate lowest SWR near/at the bottom of all bands. Unless I am mistaken, and I could well be, I believe that raising the beam up in the air will move the resonant freq up a bit on all bands and perhaps move the SWR downwards as well. The internal ATU on the K3s easily handles the maximum SWR seen. I do not have a push-up mast I can not test this. The fiberglass spigot at the bottom of the center post that must be inserted into a mast with a 1 inch ID. There needs to be holes drilled in the mast-top and the fiberglass spigot for inserting a thru bolt to keep the antenna from free wheeling. This can’t be done until the push up mast is identified and available.

The plan this afternoon is to fold up the antenna, and pack it away. Then one day next week, I will try to set it up.

73, Ken K3IU

 

Don’t forget to order your CTRI apparel!

Deadline is this Friday May 25!

Order your CTRI Polo’s and Hats at http://wickeddesignz.com/product-category/ctri  no later than Friday May 25^th.

You can select if you want to pick it up at the June meeting or shipped to you.

If you signed up on the list during last meeting you still need to place your order at http://wickeddesignz.com/product-category/ctri

Everyone has to place an order!

Please note that if would like to have your call or call & name on the right chest you will need to enter your call or call & name in the order notes on the checkout page.

Let me know if you have any questions

Lars, KE1J

By John Lindholm, W1XX

Field Day 2018 – June 23-24 – is the highlight activity of the CTRI Contest Group. Getting everyone engaged is a hallmark of our Field Day.  2018 will be no exception. 

   Our operating venue is courtesy of “Skyscrapers” of the Seagrave Memorial Observatory in North Scituate. We will be rolling out details as we get closer to the actual start. Some prep is well underway. 

   Ken, K3IU, is assembling the new “folding antenna” hex-beam recently purchased by the club.  Radios are earmarked from K3IU, KE1J, K1JSM and computers from W1AN.  KS1J is a GOTA captain. KB1RFJ is the Commissary Captain. Generator de KB1RFJ with backup de K1JSM.  Etc., etc. We’ve done this several years running, so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.   But right now I’d like to put out a challenge for someone in the club to see that we get a satellite QSO for extra bonus points. 

   The June issue of QST (p. 61) has a neat how-to article by KX9X on FD satellite operation.  It has an easy to follow “Intro to FM Satellites.”  Check it out.  We’ve got a little over a month for someone or maybe more to gear up.  Read the article and see if you want to give it a try.  It could even be a club project with “Educational Activity” bonus points for Field Day.  Post your comments of interest here. 

   Much more Field Day stuff to follow. 73!      

Work everybody, stateside and DX. I’ll be getting ready and the station will be open.
73, John W1AN

Order your CTRI Polo’s and Hats at http://wickeddesignz.com/product-category/ctri  no later than Friday May 25^th.

You can select if you want to pick it up at the June meeting or shipped to you.

If you signed up on the list during last meeting you still need to place your order at http://wickeddesignz.com/product-category/ctri

Everyone has to place an order!

Please note that if would like to have your call or call & name on the right chest you will need to enter your call or call & name in the order notes on the checkout page.

Let me know if you have any questions

Lars, KE1J

Order your CTRI Polo’s and Hats at http://wickeddesignz.com/product-category/ctri  no later than Friday May 25^th.

You can select if you want to pick it up at the June meeting or shipped to you.

If you signed up on the list during last meeting you still need to place your order at http://wickeddesignz.com/product-category/ctri

Everyone has to place an order!

Please note that if would like to have your call or call & name on the right chest you will need to enter your call or call & name in the order notes on the checkout page.

Let me know if you have any questions

Lars, KE1J

A reminder – there will be a members meeting on Sat April 14th at 0900.

This is a time change from previous announcements.

Venu:  the South Kingstown Public Library, aka Peacedale Library.

QTH: 1057 Kingstown Rd, Wakefield RI 02879

49 x 21 = 2016,   QRP CW

Turned out to be a really busy weekend but I got in some time.  Seems like the way to score in this one would have been to work a lot of 7QP and IQP stations S&P on Saturday afternoon.  But this is my chance to run with 5 watts and I was determined to run.  (and I thought 7qp continued thru Sunday , oops)  And conditions were not qrp friendly.  I had a couple solid half hour runs last year, but not this time.  A few members pulled me out, tnx!

Dave

 

Hi all,

What time would you prefer that our meetings start? The two choices are:

0900

1000

Please respond with the time and if you wish, your reason(s) for choosing it. In order to choose the time for this Saturday’s meeting, please respond ASAP.

Thanks in advance.

Pat, NG1G

W1CTN will be going dark in anticipation of a retirement move.

It’s still up. Some of the club members extended it to it’s present height.

Come and take it down, just don’t get hurt (or it’s a quick burial in the marsh), and it’s yours.

73

Dave

203 735 9725 after 6 pm week nights

anytime on the weekends

Who’s going to be QRV in NEQP?

Anyone need an OP?

NEWS FLASH!!!!  Our Rhode Island ARRL Section Manager, Bob W1YRC, will be providing commentary on a video of the Spratly Island Operation 1S1A of 1973, one of the early DX-peditions. Bob had a first had connection to this early operation to what are today’s now important islets in the South China Sea claimed by several countries and being build up  militarily by China.  Hear how early DX-peditioners  were shot in a war zone  at as they approached uninhabited islands during the closing years of the Viet Nam war.  Did you work the recent Spratly operation?  Time and place:  This Saturday April 14, 9 AM, South Kingstown (Peace Dale) Library.  Members, guests, etc. welcome.

73,

Pat, NG1G

A reminder – there will be a members meeting on Sat April 14th at 0900.

Venu:  the South Kingstown Public Library, aka Peacedale Library.

The NEQP results are now in and posted on neqp DOT org.  CTRI again top New England club score.  Time to start getting ready for 2018 NEQP first weekend in May…if it ever stops snowing.

Put your snow shovel away! This weekend is the CQ WPX SSB Contest. Work everybody; stateside and DX. Hope you can get some hours in the chair. My station here will be open for some casual operation.
73, John W1AN