Stepping back from radio

With so many walls I'm hitting at home over decided to pack radio in at home , do not really enjoy hf much anymore . I like to have a conversation not a signal report and qrz . 11m for me is deaf .

So I'm going to sell up most of my antennas and a few other bits .

I'm going to in time sort out a portable station though but not sure which direction to go. For me 2 favourite bands are 11m and 2m both ssb but fm on 2m also.

If anyone has any pictures of small poles / masts with a rotator set up I would be interested to gain some ideas . With my landrover I can go places others cant, I have a drive on plate to take 1.5 and 2" poles .

Sotabeams.co.uk is a website you may want to have a look around, you'll find everything you need for /P ops as well as some informative videos for ideas.

For DX on HF a push up pole supporting a dipole centre configuring the dipole as an inverted V will get out well. Moxon beams are also something that'll work well but can be made portable.

I do alot of sota anyway I was more talking for 11m and 2m beams etc on the side of the car rather than man portable

Have just loss interest with hf really

Hi Matt,

Shame to hear your woes mate but perfectly understandable.

Like you I've found HF getting pretty boring on the amateur bands and started moving my SWL activities to listen out for the 'pirate' and 'pop-up' broadcast stations again. Still enjoy CB, especially with recent lifts and great to get a chat with a European CBer with my bit of wire in the loft
I also enjoy listening out for VHF CQs especially the rarer SSB calls on 2m as both parties seem thrilled at a contact and take the time for a chat and setup details rather than typical "5/9" overs. It's the only time I think I'd enjoy actually being licensed so I could join in!

In North America there is much interest in "VHF/UHF Roving". They tend to do it in a competition mode working Maidenhead squares, but leaving that point aside, boy do they have some setups!

Have a search on Google and take a look at their SUVs/Trucks and wonder at the awesome array of beams and rotators they clamp onto their vehicles. Might give you some ideas for a setup of your own, the 'stop-and-shoot' setups are particularly interesting.

Anyway mate, keep your chin up.

All the best,
Victor

I'm going to be experimenting with 2 homebrew Gainmasters on 10m poles phased and directionally switched by altering the phasing. Easier than rigging even a Moxon (which is about the easiest 11m beam). I can't really think of any other way of doing directional portable.

If you're going to be operating from the car, a Moxon on the bottom few sections of a 12m pole (if you've got one) should be high enough to be worthwhile.

Victor wrote:

Hi Matt,

Shame to hear your woes mate but perfectly understandable.

Like you I've found HF getting pretty boring on the amateur bands and started moving my SWL activities to listen out for the 'pirate' and 'pop-up' broadcast stations again. Still enjoy CB, especially with recent lifts and great to get a chat with a European CBer with my bit of wire in the loft
I also enjoy listening out for VHF CQs especially the rarer SSB calls on 2m as both parties seem thrilled at a contact and take the time for a chat and setup details rather than typical "5/9" overs. It's the only time I think I'd enjoy actually being licensed so I could join in!

In North America there is much interest in "VHF/UHF Roving". They tend to do it in a competition mode working Maidenhead squares, but leaving that point aside, boy do they have some setups!

Have a search on Google and take a look at their SUVs/Trucks and wonder at the awesome array of beams and rotators they clamp onto their vehicles. Might give you some ideas for a setup of your own, the 'stop-and-shoot' setups are particularly interesting.

Anyway mate, keep your chin up.

All the best,
Victor

Cheers Vic that's sone encouraging talk I do have a 11m bazooka antenna I could string up in the loft but alot of stuff in there and it's a big crawl space as the room in the loft a cupboard door in one room and goes into the original loft . Guess work well for some skip but wonder how swr be effected

One way to find out .

26TC62 wrote:

I'm going to be experimenting with 2 homebrew Gainmasters on 10m poles phased and directionally switched by altering the phasing. Easier than rigging even a Moxon (which is about the easiest 11m beam). I can't really think of any other way of doing directional portable.

If you're going to be operating from the car, a Moxon on the bottom few sections of a 12m pole (if you've got one) should be high enough to be worthwhile.

I have plenty of poles but also been thinking about a delta loop but in mean time I may build a gainmaster from rg58