Emcomm Box Construction - Getting Closer ***New Pics - Radios on Bottom*** - Page 6

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Emcomm Box Construction - Getting Closer ***New Pics - Radios on Bottom*** (Page 6 of 8)

Posted: 5/8/2010 4:35:59 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
Good grief!!! Now I'm going to have to make one of those too. I really need to stop reading this board. My house is so crammed full of stuff my wife wants to kill me.LOL Great idea!!!

My wife was out in the back yard yesterday and asked, "What's the fishing pole in the corner of the yard with the little thin wire stretching up to it? Another reason to get the Carolina Windom antenna into the trees, out of sight.

Posted: 5/8/2010 8:54:50 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I use a crossbow-pistol with a little zebco ultra-light reel. I drilled a hole on the rear end of the bolts to tie the line to.

Use the same proceedure as above.

Works fine.

Another good idea. I've seen these on Ebay.

When I first got the crossbow, I fired a loose bolt up over a tree I was wanting to get my antenna up into.......man that thing is powerful....the bolt went clear out of sight. Trailing monofilliment line slows it down enough to be usable,,,and still get over a 100' vertical object.

Good grief!!! Now I'm going to have to make one of those too. I really need to stop reading this board. My house is so crammed full of stuff my wife wants to kill me.LOL Great idea!!!

Dibs on all yer stuff!!

Posted: 5/8/2010 10:35:24 PM EDT

[#3]

All this stuff about antenna line launching and everyone is doing it the hard way not the typical ARFCOM fashion.

ARFCOM way: 37MM M203 Grenade Launcher. You will have to reload your own 37mm shells.

There is info on the net about reloading your own line launching shells.

I have been giving thought to buying one of spikes stand-a-lone 37mm launchers to put int he go kit with the EMCOMM box.

"No sir that is not a weapon that is a line launcher"

I know that is very extreme as most EMCOMM antenna will be installed at height of less than 30 feet. It is just part of being prepared for anything.

Posted: 5/9/2010 5:03:06 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
All this stuff about antenna line launching and everyone is doing it the hard way not the typical ARFCOM fashion.

ARFCOM way: 37MM M203 Grenade Launcher. You will have to reload your own 37mm shells.

There is info on the net about reloading your own line launching shells.

I have been giving thought to buying one of spikes stand-a-lone 37mm launchers to put int he go kit with the EMCOMM box.

"No sir that is not a weapon that is a line launcher"

I know that is very extreme as most EMCOMM antenna will be installed at height of less than 30 feet. It is just part of being prepared for anything.

I can see it now....It would look like the troops blowing down "Home Tree" in Avatar!

Posted: 5/11/2010 6:26:46 AM EDT

[#5]

A slingshot with about a 3/4 oz. sinker and 20lb test fishing line.....be discrete.

Posted: 5/12/2010 12:09:21 PM EDT

[#6]

{grumbling} &$^#* Wish BigDaddy would get his act together, the %*!^& suspense is killing me.{/grumbling}

Posted: 5/12/2010 1:05:07 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
{grumbling} &$^#* Wish BigDaddy would get his act together, the %*!^& suspense is killing me.{/grumbling}

Originally Posted BigDaddy0004:
{grumbling} &$^#* Stupid income and property taxes delaying me from completing the latest phase of Radio Wonderland. {/grumbling}

Posted: 5/15/2010 5:51:12 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
A slingshot with about a 3/4 oz. sinker and 20lb test fishing line.....be discrete.

http://airgunstyle.com/images/daisy-slingshot-b52.jpg

Good idea K9-Bob.

Posted: 5/16/2010 6:15:08 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

uhhh, the Class 3 forum is that way ––––––––––––->

ar-jedi

Posted: 5/16/2010 6:19:10 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
http://home.comcast.net/~gregbell/My%20Antenna%20Launcher.jpg

uhhh, the Class 3 forum is that way ––––––––––––->

ar-jedi

It's a single-shot, but it is suppressed.

Posted: 5/16/2010 6:34:47 AM EDT

[#11]

Wonder could it be used later to hunt down squirrels and then reel em back in???? LOL

Posted: 5/16/2010 6:50:18 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Wonder could it be used later to hunt down squirrels and then reel em back in???? LOL

Bet it would work!

ETA: First shot went over the 40' branch perfectly! Stay tuned for pics....

Posted: 5/16/2010 9:57:08 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
ETA: First shot went over the 40' branch perfectly! Stay tuned for pics....

in before "Shortly afterwards, three agents from the BATF showed up at my house..."

good knowing you! say hi to Lady Gaga for me.

ar-jedi

Posted: 5/16/2010 10:21:34 AM EDT

[#14]

That's BATF"S" for Slingshots!

Posted: 5/16/2010 11:05:43 AM EDT

[#15]

Pics or it didn't happen, you say?

Sophie

The square reflectors on the trees are for photo and range-finding purposes.
The support trees are 72' apart per my Leica Laser Range Finder.

East Support Tree

West Support Tree

The limbs the pulley support ropes are over are 40' tall.

Posted: 5/16/2010 11:48:28 AM EDT

[#16]

Was Tactical Lab having fun?

OK, waiting for reports on the QSO's.

(Jeopardy Music playing in background)

Posted: 5/16/2010 11:53:49 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Was Tactical Lab having fun?

OK, waiting for reports on the QSO's.

(Jeopardy Music playing in background)

I don't know who had the most fun, me or my Tactical Lab, "Sophie"! She ran all around the woods, through the creek about a hundred times! The antenna is not up yet. The foliage is pretty heavy between the support trees and may need to be pruned a bit.

Posted: 5/16/2010 11:53:53 AM EDT

[#18]

Poor dog , on several levels

Nice work , Im working on several Ham projects today , and camper projects and my garden and ............ I got to be ADD lol

Ill start a thread with one of my projects soon .

Posted: 5/16/2010 3:25:41 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:

A slingshot with about a 3/4 oz. sinker and 20lb test fishing line.....be discrete.

http://airgunstyle.com/images/daisy-slingshot-b52.jpg

Good idea K9-Bob.

http://home.comcast.net/~gregbell/My Antenna Launcher.jpg

NFA violation for sure!

Posted: 5/16/2010 5:46:58 PM EDT

[#20]

With all that foliage... what antenna?

Posted: 5/16/2010 6:03:35 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
With all that foliage... what antenna?

Yeah, I think it'll be pretty hard to see, once it's up.

You know, the hardest part of today's project was keeping the 550 cord from getting tangled as I was pulling it up with the fishing line. It must have gotten tangled a half dozen times. And if anyone else is thinking of trying this, I recommend using 20 lb. fishing line like K9-Bob advised. I had to redo a couple of slingshot launches because the 10 lb. line that was pre-wound on my reel broke as I was pulling up the 550 cord. DOH!

Posted: 5/16/2010 6:08:16 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
I had to redo a couple of slingshot launches because the 10 lb. line that was pre-wound on my reel broke as I was pulling up the 550 cord. DOH!

landlubbers, i swear. SET THE DRAG, DAMMIT! you can catch a 500 pound fish on 10 pound line.

ar-jedi

Posted: 5/16/2010 6:17:15 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I had to redo a couple of slingshot launches because the 10 lb. line that was pre-wound on my reel broke as I was pulling up the 550 cord. DOH!

landlubbers, i swear. SET THE DRAG, DAMMIT! you can catch a 500 pound fish on 10 pound line.

ar-jedi

A 500 pound fish will get tired after awhile and give up. That 5 billion pound tree the line is snagged on don't get tired!

Posted: 5/25/2010 2:14:17 PM EDT

[#24]

The Big Brown Truck brought more stuff today.

200' of DavisRF's 9914F Bury-Flex coax and Amphenol PL259s.

Posted: 5/25/2010 2:53:30 PM EDT

[#25]

Too funny.....I was just about to order that EXACT config from the wireman today.....200' of bury-flex and some pl-259's.

I'm not copying,....I promise....

Posted: 5/25/2010 2:54:36 PM EDT

[#26]

You need my shipping address to forward it all to?

I just got in 150 feet of 8x and ends for field use.

Posted: 5/25/2010 4:05:42 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
Too funny.....I was just about to order that EXACT config from the wireman today.....200' of bury-flex and some pl-259's.

I'm not copying,....I promise....

No problem! I was going to go with LMR400, but Steve K9ZW mentioned he used the Bury-Flex in a similar application, so how could I we go wrong?

Posted: 5/25/2010 4:08:50 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
You need my shipping address to forward it all to?

I just got in 150 feet of 8x and ends for field use.

Wow, it's been a good week for coax sales, huh?

Posted: 5/25/2010 5:09:25 PM EDT

[#29]

Should have done a arfcom group buy lol

Posted: 5/28/2010 6:20:40 AM EDT

[#30]

More related thread linking....PL-259 Soldering

Posted: 5/28/2010 6:57:08 AM EDT

[#31]

apologize if i missed it in earlier post, but what brand / make coax cutting / trim tool is that?

thanks, mv

Posted: 5/28/2010 8:35:38 AM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
apologize if i missed it in earlier post, but what brand / make coax cutting / trim tool is that?

thanks, mv

I have no idea. I borrowed this from a friend and did not use it because the OD of coax I bought was too large for it. I just used a razor knife to cut through the coax jacket, shield mesh, foil and insulator. A fancy tool isn't needed at all.

Posted: 5/28/2010 9:02:10 AM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:
A fancy tool isn't needed at all.

ban him.
right now.
do it.

ar-jedi

Posted: 5/28/2010 9:24:42 AM EDT

[#34]

I an thinking of trying one of these fancy tools.

Fancy Tool

Posted: 5/28/2010 12:56:50 PM EDT

[#35]

Any idea on how well 550 cord holds up to the weather?

Posted: 5/28/2010 12:57:58 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:

Quoted:
A fancy tool isn't needed at all.

ban him.
right now.
do it.

ar-jedi

Errr, what I meant to say was it's an [Marvin the Martian Voice] Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator.[/Marvin the Martian Voice]

Hyper expensive and damn near impossible to find, but the correct tool for PL-259 installation. For real Operator use, only.

Posted: 5/28/2010 1:03:32 PM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:
Any idea on how well 550 cord holds up to the weather?

I've had 550 cords tying down a tarp over firewood all winter with no damage to them. They're pretty tough! That's what I plan on using for the center support for the antenna that's going up this weekend.
Here's a direct link to the part of the thread where this was discussed. 550 Cord Discussion

Posted: 5/28/2010 1:13:58 PM EDT

[#38]

Ive had fake 550 holding a 80m dipole up for 2 years......

Posted: 5/28/2010 1:14:15 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Any idea on how well 550 cord holds up to the weather?

I've had 550 cords tying down a tarp over firewood all winter with no damage to them. They're pretty tough! That's what I plan on using for the center support for the antenna that's going up this weekend.

Here's a direct link to the part of the thread where this was discussed. 550 Cord Discussion

Then I'll give it a try, I've got a ZS6BKW wire antenna to put up.

Posted: 5/28/2010 5:07:36 PM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:
Any idea on how well 550 cord holds up to the weather?

Yes.

Holds up VERY well. Black disappears in the foliage in the background.

Posted: 5/28/2010 5:12:05 PM EDT

[#41]

OK....Here's the latest update on the antenna.

The east (41' long) end of the antenna is up at it's 40 foot tall branch and in the clear.

The west (25' long) end of the antenna is up at it's 40 foot tall branch. Still need to maneuver around some 15-20' tall saplings.

The Balun is sagging down about ten feet off the ground because the coax is not attached yet. The light is failing fast, so it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Posted: 5/28/2010 5:51:35 PM EDT

[#42]

(Jeopardy music playing while we wait)

Posted: 5/28/2010 6:54:51 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
I an thinking of trying one of these fancy tools.
Fancy Tool
http://www.dxengineering.com/images/prod/dxe-ut-8213.jpg

Did you watch How to use the DXE-UT-8213 Coaxial Cable Stripping Tool - Video?

Quoted:
A fancy tool isn't needed at all.

I want one, too!

Posted: 5/28/2010 8:48:48 PM EDT

[#44]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXGhvoekY44

Posted: 5/29/2010 11:16:02 AM EDT

[#45]

Cell phone pics, sorry for lousy quality.

Balun Teflon Tape

Balun Mox Tape

Balun Heat Shrink Before

Balun Heat Shrink After

Posted: 5/29/2010 1:30:25 PM EDT

[#46]

FYI –– i called it in. i know, i suck, but i had to do it.

SWAT and the bomb squad will be showing up there in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

good luck, please hide that nice looking dog.

ar-jedi

ps:
re: http://home.comcast.net/~gregbell/Digital%20Netbook%20Overview.jpg

now that you've been operating a couple of months, made some contacts, etc, what would you do differently?

Posted: 5/29/2010 3:41:00 PM EDT

[#47]

THAT is a very good question.

On the other hand, it looks like BigDaddy's looked at what others were doing, avoided dead ends and tangents, looked over things that would best fit his interests and abilities, and combined/adapted the best of what he's seen very wisely.

That's cool!

Posted: 5/29/2010 3:43:42 PM EDT

[#48]

BigDaddy...

Do you think you will need an additional rope to hold up the balun, to support the weight of the coax? Do you have a convenient limb to hang it on?

Posted: 5/29/2010 4:11:16 PM EDT

[#49]

Quoted:
now that you've been operating a couple of months, made some contacts, etc, what would you do differently?

Well, as you and many others have said, a QRP radio for the first HF radio isn't the easiest road to take. I can see how some might become frustrated with hearing contacts that can't hear you. That being said, it did make it a big incentive for me to learn CW. And that was something that I wanted to do for a long time. Some of the mistakes I've made in the last couple of months have turned into great learning opportunities (the "Double FacePalm Balun Fiasco").

I don't think I'd change a thing or do anything differently. It's been a ton of fun!

Posted: 5/29/2010 4:23:45 PM EDT

[#50]

Quoted:
THAT is a very good question.

On the other hand, it looks like BigDaddy's looked at what others were doing, avoided dead ends and tangents, looked over things that would best fit his interests and abilities, and combined/adapted the best of what he's seen very wisely.

That's cool!

You know, there are a great bunch of folks here that will help new hams anyway they can. I sure do appreciate all who have given me advice along the way.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Emcomm Box Construction - Getting Closer ***New Pics - Radios on Bottom*** (Page 6 of 8)

Outdoors » Ham Radios

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us