MØMCX

Amateur Radio Operator

Narrowboat Antenna

Narrowboat AntennasNever one to do things by half, I have finally completed the HF installation on my narrowboat. First impressions are excellent, I believe it’s working very well. I now need a solid state 500 watt linear amplifier to make use of the 800w PEP atu at the feedpoint. Can’t wait.

WiFi and Cellphone antennas still not connected. My solution here will probably be a Dlink Router with PCMCIA card running an HSDPA service from Vodafone. The PCMCIA card will take it’s signal from the Cellphone antenna and the Dlink Router will then distribute WiFi throughout the boat via the WiFi antenna on the roof. I have personally cracked WEP and WPA access points so I wonder if there’s any point in securing them? Of course :)

 [Edit, July 2008: All antennas connected and working :]

Here’s the link to the ham antennas: http://www.m0mcx.co.uk/gallery/index.php?/category/72

73

Callum.

June 17th, 2008 Posted by callum | QRO | 6 comments

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6 Comments »

  1. You say you plan to put the WiFi areal on the roof, would it not work better mounted inside the boat?
    I am also in the Napton area.
    Any news on the rudder-judder yet, I put my money on an out of balance prop.

    Comment by Brian | June 26, 2008

  2. Hello Brian, thanks for dropping by. The WiFi antenna would work well inside - but since it’s mounted outside, then I’ll take that! I have a feeling that the signal strength will be so high, that we’ll get a cracking signal either way.

    Rudder judder: Jonathon Wilson is coming down at the end of July. Louis and Joshua are pulling the boat out and Jon will make adjustments where necessary. It certainly feels like a prop issue, but you never know.

    Cheers,

    Callum.

    Comment by callum | July 2, 2008

  3. Callum, I have an IC706 paired with a High Sierra side kick (the same as W&S sell)I brought second hand in the USA complete with the optional 2m whip. It’s fitted to the centre of the boat roof (50′ narrow boat) and the performance is brilliant. I can work the DX through the pile ups.
    Off the boat its a good set-up but on the boat its superb!
    Do you really need an amplifier?

    Martin

    Comment by Martin G7NTY | July 23, 2008

  4. Hello Martin and Thanks for your encouragement. I must say that from the 6 or so quick test QSOs I’ve had, I believe you may be correct in your efficiency assumptions. I have a feeling that canal water is a better ground plane than most people think. My (military) Signals friend agrees with us - however the ham community are still dubious.

    Of interest, I’m firing my AL-811 amp up on Friday night with James (M3YOM) for a 40m test. Be assured, I will compare 400w on my 811 to my puny 100w as and when we capture some DX. I’m used to VK and ZL when I work long shifts on my vertical antennas on 40m so I hope the DX gods are with us. So far though, the experience on using radio on canal water has been most pleasurable.

    I wonder if there is genuinely better efficiency between your High Sierra and my 8.5 meter vertical. I bloody hope so with the extra costs I’ve gone through! :)

    Can you dial in 80m? I fancy an 80m “narrowboat” net in the Summer - we’ll be on the boat for most of August. Gawd knows what time of day would be best though and a vertical would be the worst antenna to use! I did an experiment in making my vertical a sort of inverted Delta loop / inverted L (pulling a wire back to the tiller from the top of the vertical) which made it slightly better for NVIS work. Proof of the pudding is in the working though. Sometimes on 80m, you just need some horsepower. Hence the 500w linear requirement.

    Shame 40m is so awful these days, I used to have lots of laughs on 40m - on low power too.

    Cheers-n-beers,

    Callum
    M0MCX
    (07976 631881)

    Comment by callum | July 23, 2008

  5. Callum,
    Yes I can tune the H,Sierra to 80m (tunes across all bands). We are on the boat from Saturday through the comming week. Unfortunatly its going to be the last week as the boat is now up for sale.
    We have spent a fortune getting it ready as our retirement home (compete refit) hence the fit-out for radio. Wind genny, solar panels etc but thats another story.
    Yes we can try and arrange a sched one night next week say Sunday or Monday. I will ring (your number as above).
    As for the technical aspects I have experience of working from a small island as VP8CEO and the sea water gave a good boost to the signal (even out performed the military equipment with a cut to length wire) so I thought here I have a sheet metal platform sitting in water and electrically connected to the water by a big zinc anode at the four corners - could it work like a ground plane?
    The first time I fired it up last year it was like the other phase of the sunspot cycle, wow! VK’s ZL, VE, States, and europeans stations so I tune around and hey ho a pile up! called my last two a couple of times and was in! moved on and tried a state side call confused him completly trying to explain what a narrow boat is. And all this not far from the bottom of the devises flight.

    It works but dont tell everyone they will all want a piece of the action :)

    Till Sunday or Monday
    Martin

    Comment by Martin G7NTY | July 23, 2008

  6. Pile up eh? Gee whizz, can’t wait!

    Also replied privately.

    Thanks.

    Callum.

    Comment by callum | July 23, 2008

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