I'm thinking of building an antenna for when i go out in the car. Ive been told it's a cubicle quad as it's a 4 element square antenna if that makes sense.

I've been told that the antenna is built to half a wave over the 4 elements so 20m would work out to 1.25m each side. Although the antenna is a bit more than 4 diamonds on a bar it's 4 diamonds but in each diamond there are smaller elements to make a spider web config on each element.

Have I been told the correct info or not? If someone can let me know I'd be happy so I can start to build

Charlotte 2E0BSS

So no matter what my ATU is saying the Radio is still transmitting at around 130 Watts PEP? This is bad news. Is there any way at all including turning the VR's inside to lower the physical power output. I'm still at a loss though because over here in the UK Top Band (160m) has a max of 32Watts how do hams comply with that? I know of hams who use FT 101 series units.

today my mic quit on me for my 101E so I'm guessing the problems may have related to it. As for the power issues I've checked the meter against known accuracy set up my 101E accordingly so it's going to be around 50watts.

Now go to find a replacement mic for my 101E. Thinking of the new MFJ one for Yaesu, although it's so new no store can tell me if they work as they haven't sold any.

Yaesu are sending me all the manuals for the radio including the technical supplement so that will be a start.

Charlotte 2E0BSS

Ok that's very interesting so when I adjust the  carrier to lower the power what am I actually lowering ? The power on SWR meter does drop and the reports I get are no different to my 857D on 50 Watts.

I previously was told if I lower the Carrier till the 50 watts or as near as possible to it is lined up with the needle then I'm transmitting around that power I guess that's incorrect info. How can people operate on Top band with them at a lower power level ie over here in the uk it's 32 Watts

Any more advise would be greatly appreciate. Does anyone know where I can get the unit serviced ? mainly in the UK

Thanks Charlotte 2E0BSS

I have an interesting question (for me it's interesting) I am licensed as a 2E (intermediate) here in the uk which gives me, on most bands, 50 watts PEP I don't have a stand alone watt meter just one on the SWR meter of my MFJ 948 Versa tuner, however, I'm unsure how to calculate the PEP power when tuning my FT 101 E up. This is how I set power up please correct me if I'm incorrect.

First tune the radio to all the dips and max powers then switch the 948 to PEAK on the meter and lower the power untill it sits just below the 50 watt point in both tuned and bypass just to make sure. The MFJ instruction manual states to the following:

"Peak Power and Average power values are equal with steady unmodulated carriers ie FSK, FM. The PEP is twice the average power with SSB two tone test modulation and may be any amount larger than the average power SSB voice signals"

What does that actually mean as the FT 101 E cannot do FM just AM/CW/SSB.

Any help will be greatly appreciated so I can run the correct power from my FT 101E

Charlotte 2E0BSS

I'm trying to find a small tri band beam or quad by small I mean under 2m total length. It's the 6m bit that's causing a problem due to the half wave on 6m. If there was a square style antenna which covers the three bands that would be ok. My local authority have just gotten over me putting up a half size G5RV for HF so I don't want to go sticking up 3m beams.

I'm thinking either a beam or a quad due to it out performing a vertical and if I can get a small enough one it will look just like a large TV antenna which the local authority have no problem with as long as we can keep it to below 2m

Maybe someone can suggest a plan to build the thing then I can keep it really small

Charlotte 2E0BSS

You're right finding the cause and curing it would be great but it's not possible for the following reasons

I live in a block of flats that are steel framed and the antenna, half size G5RV made to resonate on 20m, cannot go much higher due to my local authorities restrictions. We are going to try to get the antenna a few feet higher to cut the noise a touch but I'm not going to get rid of it totally.

Charlotte

Am I right in thinking that the extra DSP is mainly for the older non D version of the 857? so not really any benefit to me at all

Charlotte 2E0BSS

My 857D is a year old. It's got some of filters fitted but no IF filters, can't find those either unless they're the SSB/CW collins ones at £110 each.

So in short terms an external DSP unit would outway the internal fitted ones. I'm having a look at Clear speech to see if it's what I need

Charlotte 2E0BSS

I have a Yaesu 857D, which I am on the whole very happy with, although the filtration isn't great.

I am thinking about adding a few of the extra filters such as ::

TCXO-9 High Stability Crystal 0.5ppm
DSP-2 (Spare DSP) unit

Now my question is what benefit will there be in fitting the two or will it be more benefit to buy:

ANEM bhi Amplified Module

Small readout available at the following link.

http://www.radioworld.co.uk/~radio/catalog/anem-amplified-module-p-3545.html?osCsid=f4b65f6332540f9ef94f80e877d3d50d

As I'm suffering 7-9+ noise due to my location this there is nothing I can do about unless I switch on at 3am then I only get 6 noise from 80-15mtr 20 is terrible as is 40. My attenna cannot do top band so I don't bother with it.

Charlotte 2E0BSS

Ok all the feed back is greatly appreciated. Been to your site too and earthed my car (That was fun)only place I can't put a strap is the exhaust unless I get the mig out (now that worries the neighbours)

I still have  a question though the Z100 will it completely autotune? ie when I'm transmitting will the tuner tune if it detects a high SWR? like the Z11PRo. Considered the SGC ATU only issue is I want to go portable/mobile/base with it, my old MFJ  Versa tuner has issues on 80m at home (quite like the idea of fishing then throwing a random wire up a tree then talking to Russia!!! Still can't get the USA/Canada just Russia/Italy/Finland/Germany/Holland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Lithunia/Prague/Czech rep/ (Can you see a pattern here? If you can please advise me my half G5RV goes North to south.

I'm about to buy my first auto tuner from LDG, I'm thinking about the Z11Pro. According the the tech specs from LDG it says the following:

"Not for use with FT-857(D) or FT-897(D) if you plan to use VHF or UHF. These two radios transmit a small amount of VHF/UHF RF energy out of the HF port and will fool the tuner into tuning. Use the AT-100Pro in this case" ©LDG

I don't want the AT100Pro due to it's size. How I'm reading the above is if I don't want to use VHF/UHF when the tuner is connected in linethe Z11Pro will fit my bill.

Can someone let me know if they've used the Z11Pro and is it any good another one in my specs is the Z100 although it won't run automatic like the Z11Pro

Charlotte 2E0BSS

I use echolink it's ok depends which area I want and Echolink.org is the best place to get echolink from, as previously said.

2E0BSS

My FT101E has developed a fault this being there is a slight amount of feed back on transmit ( I'm told it's RF feedback) I've earthed the thing,with a 3 foot steel rod welded to some household cable backed up by 20feet of copper wire embedded in the ground. The antenna is correctly installed and working amazingly for a halfsize G5RV right down to 1.970MhZ (SWR around 2.5-3 ish can't go any lower)

It has been suggested that the replacement pair of valves may not be exactly the same as the pair insitue I wouldn't know if this can cause RF Feedback

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated to cure this issue. FYI it has had a replacement mic cable as the original one fell to bits litterally.

Charlotte 2E0BSS

I've gotten another build thought, wanted to see if anyones already done it or has suggestions how

I want to build a small Tri band Yagi/TV style antenna 6m/2m/70cm's to sit alongside my G5RV and also be fitted to a rotator.

I have figured out the 2m/70cm side just the 6m side which is making the thing larger than I want. I'm thinking having the elements retractable so if the local authority come a looking I can tell em it's a TV antenna so a full size 6m beam is out of the window

Charlotte 2E0BSS