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Antenna Pix: DIY and Store Bought

More catman:

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Original post: Antennas are strange things!

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Anybody know where you can get, or do any of you HAVE a 40-60' Rohn "Triangular" tower ? I have a bigazz Winegard FM that I'd LOVE to put atop it, along w/a good Rotator. Stores Won't sell 'em, unless YOU come & pick 'em up.. This area I live in is FM DXers' HEAVEN..
 
RxDx said:
I just printed out the labels and used 2-sided tape :-)

The UHF antenna is facing a stand of 100-150 year old oaks. Fortunately, the main TV/radio antenna farm in our city is only about 5 miles away. I don't remember where I saw these plans, but the coat-hanger elements made it an easy choice.

The CM-4228 is still shown at Solid Signal, for instance. Why would HD or not make any difference? There are almost no non-HD stations left, and they're all low power.

Oh. I think I'm not sure what signal you're chasing. The 4228 as it is now only receives upper VHF and UHF bands. If you're looking for low band, here's a list of currently-available dxing FM antennas I put together (don't think I've mentioned this before).
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Thanks for the chart, that's really cool. The stampeder chart includes good stuff from "Antennas Direct" (Canadian - no affiliation). I last looked into TV antennas several years ago but IIRC the main rap against the "HD" branded CM 4228 was that it was no longer a real Channel Master. Design and quality control moved to China and it just wasn't the same animal anymore. In fact the stampeder charts would rank the original 4228 as number 1 (bowtie catagory) but the "HD" wouldn't get any ranking at all unless modified.

I'm going for maximum UHF, UHF-only, replacing my Wingard VHF-UHF on the roof top mast. VHF duties will be covered by an attic antenna, the Winegard or the curb find posted earlier. Gotta try max effort because right now the station I want is right at the threshold of making it through all summer long. It just needs a little help.
 
Some reviews here, which says the best is the RCA ANT751. Their chart shows the Channel Master CM-3020 has better range, though.

This guy suggests using two 4228s is the best you can do. I'm pretty sure he's talking about the older design, though I'm not sure it will have that much effect.
 
Here's a not-too-recent photo of my antenna farm, which has been substantially modified since. Antennacraft FM-6 on top, Winegard HD9095.

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loopstick said:
Alrighty, lot's of great antenna pix I run across at AK every day so I'm going to start adding them to this thread with proper credit, etc. Here's one from sKiZo. Maybe somebody can explain what those unusual ones are. :tresbon:

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The long multi strand is a FAN DIPOLE and the Vertical is an omni vertical. Sorry cant see it close up enough to give you a brand name but the fan could be a Alpha Delta, B&W or similar used for HF Amateur and vertical most likely is at least for 10 meters and possibly 6 meters??.

I have built several telescoping fiberglass verticals for 80-6 meters. If you look up S-9 Antenna looks like their 31 footer.

Gotta give props for the great home brew loops, and that cool Yagi 7 elements? Really clean and nice work people.:tresbon::banana:

Hermit
 
loopstick said:
Nice antenna farm, sKiZo. I have a pic somewhere of a Winegard BUD I installed. Twice. Good times. I also have the tick-tick-tick of an electric fence, basically the next lot over. It discharges thru weeds thinking they're horses. Real Marconi spark gap stuff with giant radiating loop. :sigh:

But for some reason it doesn't affect vintage gear much, it does chew up portables like SR-III and RF-2200. Anyhoo, here's one I found from sberger, the link is to his post:

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Original post: Finally a roof top antenna!

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Check out this company Palomar engineers get their chokes.

http://palomar-engineers.com/

I had a 20 dB OVER S9 noise and their Super Choker completely got rid of it. Next I dealt with the stupid Edison smart meter when it sends the up-link signal it was causing me grief on VHF SSB and I managed with another choke from same company to knock it down to almost gone from unbearable. Trouble was coming in on the conduit run to my 240V lines for my vintage Henry console amps.

Funny thing is it doesn't bother Hammarlund HQ-170 or the Hallicrafters SX-101 MK3 (both cover 160-10 and the 170 goes to 6 meters. Coupled to a nice modded EF Johnson Valiant 1. I use it for the AM nets and an FT-901D into an NVIS loop for Vintage SSB.

I have antennas covering VLF (long wires) through (verticals, beams and assorted wires antennas) 1.2 gHz. Currently working on getting an RV set up with a SGC and a loop off the top of it for HF, but an ATAS 120 and an FT-857D is all sos far installed.

Hermit.
 
Sandy G said:
Anybody know where you can get, or do any of you HAVE a 40-60' Rohn "Triangular" tower ? I have a bigazz Winegard FM that I'd LOVE to put atop it, along w/a good Rotator. Stores Won't sell 'em, unless YOU come & pick 'em up.. This area I live in is FM DXers' HEAVEN..
Click to expand...

How about a motorized LM-354HD with TX2 rotor and remote box? This is complete with coax arms, just add antenna, rotor cable and electric hook up for the motor.

I have 2 of these and only need 1.

Hermit
 
You know.....

I have made all my antenna since I was twelve. I ran a entire roll of speaker wire down the back alley behind the house and got every radio station in the Willamette Valley to include Portland Oregon. When I was living in an apartment, I took a long price of aluminum tubing and a tubing bender and created a squared antenna which brought the ends together. Drilled holes in the ends and brought the ends together with a piece of plastic and two thin nuts, bolts and washers. I hung this on the porch of my apartment. Then since I live up on the second floor, I got a ladder and climbed up on the roof and ran a continuous piece of speaker wire all the way around the edge of the roof connecting it to each end of the aluminum tubing via the two nuts and bolts. I ran a piece of speaker wire from the antenna to my Marantz receiver, got every radio station in the San Fransico Bay Area to include the East Bay and the signal on each station no matter how far away was maxed out !!!

Funny thing is.....I have a brand new antenna still in the box and a good one that I have never used !
 
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