Blog Management
Not much to report this month and I’m only typing because I’ve currently got man-flu and feel like sh*t warmed up.
The Mega-Loop is working superbly at the Scout hut, although I’m trying to find something better for 160m. The impedance is already slightly low on top band and with a 4:1 balun in line at the feedpoint, it seems throws the SWR out by quite a bit. The ACOM 2000 seems to handle such a mis-match, in fact, it only trips out with a return power equating to around 575 watts. Technically, does this means that I can fire 1,000 watts up the coax and have nearly 600 watts come back to me? I don’t know - and certainly not above 1,850 anyway (UK band plans & license conditions etc). I’ll need to check.
Here’s some fun. The picture shown is the design for a Hyper-Mega-Loop, this is twice the size of our current Mega-Loop at 340 meters in length sitting at 18 meters height with a design sag of 5 meters in the middle of each leg. Using MMANA, it seems to still develop amazing potential for 40m band. How about 8dBi at 10 degrees take off for the US? I wish I hadn’t thought this up, I’m tempted to build it. Yes, the RF will fire just North of West at around 285 degrees.
Last Monday night, Tim and James helped me to demonstrate amateur radio to the Beavers. We did a standard JOTA style 90 minutes with little ones starting with Morse code, continuing to QSL designs and passing greeting messages on 80m. Thanks to Chris, G0MLY who was was an excellent victim in managing the little ones pass their greetings message. Also thanks to the many others who helped including our friends, Barry (G0DGQ) and Chris (G0EYO).
At the Exec Committee for Dorridge Scout Group last night, I was asked to step in as an Interim Group Scout Leader for 6 months whilst we find a parent to fill these boots. I accepted and I’m very keen to get stuck in. I immediately announced the 2009 mega-clean-up. If you do live anywhere near Dorridge, we’re going to be after all the white paint (gloss, undercoat and matt emulsion), brushes and sandpaper that we can get our hands on. Every Beaver, Cub, Scout and Explorer will contribute in painting the hut from top to bottom, inside and out. A clean floor and a new kitchen is also planned. If you are reading this and you can help, please let me know.
This also means that we can get the technology room built and set up for remote control ham radio too. We already have three Dell PCs and matching LCD monitors together with a Dell 2400 server to donate to this project. Internet will be sent from my house to the hut via a point-to-point 2.4Ghz link. It’s only 900 meters, so a very interesting project. We’re on the look out for anything that we can either use or sell for funds for our TS2000 appeal or use. We’ll also need PSUs, coax, connectors etc, etc. Can you help?
Callum.
