The HF antenna…

So, most members should be aware by now that the old 40m dipole has been removed and replaced with a new 40m dipole!  The feedpoint 1:1 balun was also changed for good measure and sealed thoroughly for the winter. But this is…

Antenna Maintanance

Yesterday myself, Andrew, Graham, Rex, John and John spent the day at the Chantry renovating the club’s antenna systems. Our plan for the day was to inspect the existing antenna systems, replace a section of coax between the attic and…

Antenna Horizon

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit at your antenna and see what it ‘sees’?  Well, this evening I attached a camera to my antenna and shot the following short video as the mast was raised…

Strange problems….

So, for a couple of months I’ve had a growing suspicion that I’m not receiving as well as I am transmitting.  I first noticed the problem when observing the strength of signals from GB3VHF which after one winter storm seemed…

Back to the Future…

Back in the 80’s I received my first amateur radio license, a ‘B’ license as it was back then entitling me to use, if I recall correctly, bands above 30 MHz only.  We didn’t have 6m and 4m band allocations then…

Fox Hunting with a TDOA Antenna

In preparation for the pedestrian fox-hunt that happened a couple of weeks ago, I decided to take a look around for some antenna designs that I could build at home. I came across a blog post which showed off a Time…

Cobwebb resonating. Part 2

Last week I wrote about recent work that identified where my G3TPW Cobwebb antenna was resonating on each of its five bands (20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m).  Following on from that work G0MGM and myself spent a day recently adjusting my Cobwebb…

Cobwebb resonating. Part 1

I’ve had a G3TPW Cobwebb for almost a year but recently its moved location and is now on the top of a Total Mast Solutions 11m pneumatic mast.  Because previously it was in a temporary installation I didn’t think much…

Field weekend (3)

This is the third post in a three part series regarding the late May field weekend of the Thornbury and South Gloucestershire Amateur Radio Club (TSGARC). So Tuesday arrived.  Four days on site had passed very quickly.  The final day…

Field weekend (2)

This is the second post in a three part series regarding the late May field weekend of the Thornbury and South Gloucestershire Amateur Radio Club (TSGARC). The trouble with camping during May is it gets light early!  Setup had been…