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Author Topic: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing  (Read 1373 times)

KD9WOM

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #15 on: March 17, 2023, 05:09:34 AM »

Metal Mobile Home? If it is steel a simple magnetic mount mobile antenna stuck to the roof with the co-ax run thru a window with an sma end will work just fine on a 20 mile distant repeater. Yagi and j-pole antennas are all fine but a cheap mag mount (Vfan brand, $20 on Amazon) will work just fine for a 20 mile haul IF the repeater is line of sight. Check that first.

I am guessing its aluminum so thats out, thanks ....not sure but think it is aluminum
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AC7CW

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #16 on: March 17, 2023, 05:19:32 AM »

Metal Mobile Home? If it is steel a simple magnetic mount mobile antenna stuck to the roof with the co-ax run thru a window with an sma end will work just fine on a 20 mile distant repeater. Yagi and j-pole antennas are all fine but a cheap mag mount (Vfan brand, $20 on Amazon) will work just fine for a 20 mile haul IF the repeater is line of sight. Check that first.

I am guessing its aluminum so thats out, thanks ....not sure but think it is aluminum

You can determine that with a magnet... if it's steel then the mag-mount idea should work fine for you. If you want to have a yagi one is very easy to build for 2M. I'd make one with three or four elements. If you are just trying to get into a single repeater than you won't need a rotator for the yagi, just aim it by moving it while listening to the repeater and finding the sweet spot with the best signal strength
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Novice 1958, 20WPM Extra now... (and get off my lawn)

W9IQ

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #17 on: March 17, 2023, 05:21:35 AM »

it is outside and above my trailer , the PVC pipe i am running it through is installed on the side of my trailer but its above ...it by a couple feet....i am fairly sure I got it connected correctly, but maybe its too close to the metal? I do not know, still learning, just wanting to be able to get on air, while at home.

Can you hear the repeater with this antenna?

- Glenn W9IQ
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

KD9WOM

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #18 on: March 17, 2023, 05:23:50 AM »

it is outside and above my trailer , the PVC pipe i am running it through is installed on the side of my trailer but its above ...it by a couple feet....i am fairly sure I got it connected correctly, but maybe its too close to the metal? I do not know, still learning, just wanting to be able to get on air, while at home.

Can you hear the repeater with this antenna?
no I can't hear anything, not even the police, fire, ems, all that I monitor with my rubber duck on, could I have messed up making the antenna that badly?
- Glenn W9IQ
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KD9WOM

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #19 on: March 17, 2023, 05:26:43 AM »

Metal Mobile Home? If it is steel a simple magnetic mount mobile antenna stuck to the roof with the co-ax run thru a window with an sma end will work just fine on a 20 mile distant repeater. Yagi and j-pole antennas are all fine but a cheap mag mount (Vfan brand, $20 on Amazon) will work just fine for a 20 mile haul IF the repeater is line of sight. Check that first.

I am guessing its aluminum so thats out, thanks ....not sure but think it is aluminum

You can determine that with a magnet... if it's steel then the mag-mount idea should work fine for you. If you want to have a yagi one is very easy to build for 2M. I'd make one with three or four elements. If you are just trying to get into a single repeater than you won't need a rotator for the yagi, just aim it by moving it while listening to the repeater and finding the sweet spot with the best signal strength
thanks!
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W9IQ

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #20 on: March 17, 2023, 05:28:39 AM »

Yes, you have a problem with the antenna, coax or coax connections. Even an antenna that is cut to the wrong size will generally allow reasonable reception of signals.

Can you post or email some close up pictures of the antenna and the coax connections on both ends? Posting pictures here is a pain so feel to email them to me and I can post them for you. My email is my call at arrl.net.

- Glenn W9IQ
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

KD9WOM

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #21 on: March 17, 2023, 05:33:50 AM »

Yes, you have a problem with the antenna, coax or coax connections. Even an antenna that is cut to the wrong size will generally allow reasonable reception of signals.

Can you post or email some close up pictures of the antenna and the coax connections on both ends? Posting pictures here is a pain so feel to email them to me and I can post them for you. My email is my call at arrl.net.

- Glenn W9IQ
I will have to get back with you on that, the antenna is up in the air, and I can't really get close enough to take photos at the moment, will try later, when I can, anyone willing to help me out is a Godsend.  73
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WB6BYU

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #22 on: March 17, 2023, 09:21:21 AM »

Ground plane antennas are pretty forgiving,
especially for reception.

It’s possible that you have an assembly problem
if the instructions aren’t written well, but I’d
suspect a problem with your coax, especially
the connectors. 

Do you have any sort of ohmmeter or contunity
tester you can use to check it out?

K5LXP

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #23 on: March 17, 2023, 10:55:43 AM »

For reference you can use a mag mount on an aluminum surface.  It won't stick, something you'd have to accommodate in some other way (e.g. double stick foam tape) but it will work as a groundplane equally well as steel.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
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KD9WOM

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #24 on: March 17, 2023, 12:51:58 PM »

Ground plane antennas are pretty forgiving,
especially for reception.

It’s possible that you have an assembly problem
if the instructions aren’t written well, but I’d
suspect a problem with your coax, especially
the connectors. 
I have a nano vna and maybe I think I have an electric tester that does different things....I am not real good at building things lol
Do you have any sort of ohmmeter or contunity
tester you can use to check it out?
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KD9WOM

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #25 on: March 17, 2023, 12:54:26 PM »

For reference you can use a mag mount on an aluminum surface.  It won't stick, something you'd have to accommodate in some other way (e.g. double stick foam tape) but it will work as a groundplane equally well as steel.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
great to know, considering getting a mag mounted antenna for the car soon, that might really help idk, I feel like I almost live in a hole lol sort of, its a weird area, a little bit. When I get a chance I am going to post photos of my bad attempt at making a antenna to this post. Some one asked, and so I will soon
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W9IQ

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #26 on: March 17, 2023, 01:13:59 PM »

If you have a nanoVNA, put its start and stop frequencies at the band edges and see what is shows for SWR for starters.

- Glenn W9IQ
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

KD9WOM

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #27 on: March 17, 2023, 01:57:10 PM »

If you have a nanoVNA, put its start and stop frequencies at the band edges and see what is shows for SWR for starters.

- Glenn W9IQ
when i ran for swr i was able to get it down to like 1.9 by changing the start and stop, i ll have to run it again to be 100%
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K1KIM

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #28 on: March 17, 2023, 02:56:54 PM »

If you have a nanoVNA, put its start and stop frequencies at the band edges and see what is shows for SWR for starters.

- Glenn W9IQ
when i ran for swr i was able to get it down to like 1.9 by changing the start and stop, i ll have to run it again to be 100%

Make sure you re-calibrate it for the frequency and bandwidth. I calibrate it at the antenna input accounting for all jumpers and connectors.

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WB6BYU

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Re: Apparently I have no Idea what I am doing
« Reply #29 on: March 17, 2023, 06:33:46 PM »

But if you want to check the feedline and connections,
then just measuring the SWR at the transmitter end
of the feedline is a good start.  That will show you any
issues with shorts or opens before you get to the antenna.

That seems more likely given the symptoms than having
the antenna not build quite right.
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