The Antenna  Party

Last Saturday, Jan 10th, a team of Hams went over to Keenan’s house to set up his doublet antenna. 

The antenna team consisted of Mike, W6MLB, Peter, KE6RAX, Paul, K6EH, Kevin, KO6JOX, Keenan, K6MML, Andrew, N6AAG and Keenan’s parents.

Everyone participated in the process which took around 5 hours. 

The 450 ohm doublet antenna consists of two 100 foot runs of wire connected on either side to a tree. The driven element wires met in the middle and were joined into a 50 foot balanced ladder feedline. The wires were connected every 10 inches with around 60 3d printed connectors to hold the wires about 2 inches apart. Pete KN6TYR printed the pieces. There was also a printed middle piece where the ladder line started. The non resonant doublet antenna should cover from 80 meters to 10 meters.

Attempts using John’s, N5HPB’s tennis ball canon and casting a fishing line with a weight were tried. The cannon shot the tennis ball over the neighbor’s house. The fishing line got up high on the weak and small oak branches.

Kevin was all over the place up and down the ladder on roof many times and on fences helping with lines. Mike had excellent suggestions and Peter helped keep Keenan’s parents calm. Keenan and his father worked together on the center element that connects the ladder line portion of the antenna. Kevin and Paul installed the 60 3d printed pieces of the ladder line.

There was plenty of pizza and soda supplied by Keenan’s parents to keep the crew going.

The antenna was raised to about 30-35 feet. Keenan has some lightning arrester work left to complete. He hopes to be on the air with his station by this weekend.

73, Andrew, N6AAG