"military EKMS (Electronic Key Managment System) " It's funny to see KW-7's on the internet... Now that's what's I'm talking about 


73
John
KO4XJ

Hopefully you have narrowed down your issue but just to let others know, I had a issue with RF in my SL USB and I found that if I grounded the metal housing to my station ground, it was gone.. my issue was not like yours but RF just the same

73 and gud luck

John
KO4XJ

Aaron I have used a homebrew j-pole for many years, many things have been said but WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH THIS ANTENNA is the question. Do you just want to the hit a few local repeaters? Are you trying to hit a repeater 50 miles or farther away? Where I'm at, western Ky, My 20 year old j-pole (copper) is at the approx 45 feet, feed with some old radio shack coax (it was all I had at the time) and is installed on a piece of PVC at the top of the mast on a 40' tower. It's been here at this location for 10 years and survived winds of 60+ and ice storms. I can hit repeaters 45 miles away with 40-50 watts but I usually use it for local stuff. I've since put a used Diamond x-510 up on another tower and the base of that antenna is at 70'....and yes WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! Again, what are your plans for this installation? The j-pole works and fun to build and would be able to pull into the trees

Good luck and 73
John
KO4XJ

Brian, there is a local here that has (2) 56'HXB and a 72' HBX and he lowers all of them.. whether it's a good idea or not I DON'T KNOW but he's been doing it for some time. He built his own base hinge kit and they are heavy duty, I've seen them. He uses a block and tackle system and uses his winch on his truck to lower them. Look up KY4JIM and read about the towers

I have a old TX-455 with a TA-33 on top and I sunk 3" (wish I went with 4")thick wall square tubing 6' in the base, slushed the tubing full of concrete and filled with 3 pieces of rebar for giggles. The "lowering fixture" is 7' above ground and at approx 70-80 deg angle and I lower my tower when it's nested at 22' with the TA-33 (w/40m kit), rotor and 14' of thick wall mast above the tower. Tower alone is right at 700 lbs.

I had a buddy (mech engineer) created a spread sheet that showed the apprx weight at different angles and the different attachment points..very intersting!!

If you want some pics, send me a email at ko4xj at arrl.net and I can send some pics

good luck
John
KO4XJ

Dave go ahead and put it up, it'll be the cheapest antenna you will put up for HF and it will work fine, no not as good as a beam and maybe not as good a good vertical but you'll be amazed. I put up a 520' loop, highest corner is apprx. 60' and lowest side is 30-35'. The feed point is about 35 ' up feed with 450 ladder line to a Ten Tec 238B and is in the N.E. corner towards Europe. I'm pretty weak to that angle BUT the second contact I made on it was 75m to So. Africa in March, now that was unexpected. But it plays really well to VK's on 17m where I have alot of fun working with it. Now I said the antenna was cheap, but I built the air cannon from the March QST, now that added some cost to it but it's fun to launch! Good luck

John
KO4XJ

I've used the slingshots and fishing reels and they are ok BUT if you build the air cannon from the March QST you'll throw rocks at the slingshot. But do yourself a favor, get 2 or 3 others to build them with you, it's alot cheaper on the supplies!!

Good luck

John
KO4XJ

Another thing to watch for when looking at your 811 and the section on tuning on page 6 of the manual is the amp has the LOAD on the left and PLATE on the right.. the manual has PLATE listed on the left column and LOAD on the right column.

That may not seem difficult to some but you take someone that never used a amp and they are looking at the instructions and then straight up to the amp.. you can get screwed up and not realize it

Good luck
John
KO4XJ

If you order a practice code oscilalator be careful that is for a set of paddles and not a straight key (DITS & DASH) You might look for a used electronic keyer (MFJ type) off a for sale site and then you could practice and adjust tone, speed and then if you ever went QRP portable you would have something to use for a keyer

My rig (Ten Tec Orion) I can turn the transmitter off and still get the sidetone and adjustments

Good luck

KO4XJ
John

 Check out http://www.n7yg.com/fcc/fcc.htm and you can list by call, zips, cities, last names, and export to excel

Daily and weekly FCC updates and FREE

73
John
KO4XJ

Tnx for confirming what I thought it might be but to update something, I was using the headset on VOX and would get the buzz but when I use a homebrew PTT switch it's not there?? Still could be RF I guess

John

Just recieved Proset Plus to hook to my TS440SAT and I have a buzz in the headphones when transmitting. Now I have only tx on 20 and 40 meter and using a Hustler 4 band vert. I used a cheap PC type headphone with no problems at all before. Currently I do not have the rig grounded, possibly some RF getting into the headphones.. I also using the Heil factory adaptor for the Kenwood.

If you got any hints, tips I'd appreciate it

73's

John
KO4XJ