@@coppeis Aluminum masts usually mount to a step plate on a boat. It's got a lip that fits around the inside of the base of the mast, and it just bolts to the deck - which almost always has a post inside to keep the deck from collapsing - but I digress! You can maybe get a mast with a step plate from a boat salvage yard. They usually have spreaders and stays that are very similar to guy wires. Some of them have a relatively complex rig to keep it rigid when it's loaded up - makes it like a truss to keep it from bending too much. You probably don't need all that, those sails put a LOT of force on a mast that your antenna just won't. So you'd basically bolt down the step plate to a concrete base, then step the mast on that, and run guys maybe from the stay attachment points at the spreaders. The only problem I can think of, is how to mount the rotator to it. Look at boats in the 25 - 30 foot range, they'll have a mast somewhere in the height range you want.
Dave, please do a video on the difference between cobwebs, hex beams, moxons and spider beams. I would be reading about one and then thinking about a different antenna. They are quite confusing for the new guys. Kind of similar but different. Thanks and like your videos. Keep it up.
Regarding the landing, ... one thing I use to do when I flew (not much at all) was I'd come in and of course going slow and close to stall, but not stall, ... ... thinkin of the last two feet, I would let the craft lower down but I never thought of the actual touch. As it would naturally get closer I kept the "idea and feeling" to keep it closer and closer to stall but pretend to not let it touch and I purposely pulled back on the yoke. Well, more often than not I'd almost touch and not really feeling much. It's like coming to a brake stop in a car but not letting it feel the actual stop.. light peddle and finally a stop.
Do NOT get discouraged on landing. Took me until I had about 700 hours in my log before I could (nearly) consistently kiss the runway instead of doing carrier landings. It is one of those things that will just click when it happens --- just like flying the ILS. Don't get discouraged. As long as you don't break that landing gear, you're doing great. ((Just hold the thought ---- most airline pilots can't land smoothly either [when was the last airline flight you took that you couldn't feel the touchdown on?]))
Dave, I have a 50ft freestanding tower on a homemade laydown mount which is a 4x4x5ft cement-filled hole with 6 rebars. Do you think it would hold a hex?
Dave as a ham who did a restricted private pilots license …. I found the flair problematic until I realised the following. As you come down you are looking mostly DOWN… this is good (as that is where the runway is) but as you get lower the ground starts to blur and things are happening way too fast. Once I started looking forward earlier and looking at the HORIZON I was able to evaluate the sink and my landing flair was much better 73 de VK2AOE
David, is it recommended to put a fence around the perimeter of the aerial even if it is not required? it would have to be wide enough to allow the aerial to fall in any direction and still be within the confounds of the fence. what are your thoughts?
@@supyrow For sure. Fences are surprisingly expensive. Even just T posts and 4x4 in the corner with hogwire for something like that is several hundred bucks, and a lot of work.
I second this question! I watched twice to see if I could find a diameter. I'd imagine 1 1/2" would suffice for a guyed sched 40 aluminum pipe. Top rail is 1 3/8, but it's super thin walled compared to sched 40. 2" might be a better choice, idk.
Another good source of antenna masts is scrap sail boat masts, they can be very long and very strong.
Where do you get scrap sailboat masts? Also how do you hold the mast up?
@@coppeis Aluminum masts usually mount to a step plate on a boat. It's got a lip that fits around the inside of the base of the mast, and it just bolts to the deck - which almost always has a post inside to keep the deck from collapsing - but I digress!
You can maybe get a mast with a step plate from a boat salvage yard. They usually have spreaders and stays that are very similar to guy wires. Some of them have a relatively complex rig to keep it rigid when it's loaded up - makes it like a truss to keep it from bending too much. You probably don't need all that, those sails put a LOT of force on a mast that your antenna just won't. So you'd basically bolt down the step plate to a concrete base, then step the mast on that, and run guys maybe from the stay attachment points at the spreaders.
The only problem I can think of, is how to mount the rotator to it. Look at boats in the 25 - 30 foot range, they'll have a mast somewhere in the height range you want.
I must say, you have a beautiful view out the the rockies
Thank you for your knowledge.
Dave, please do a video on the difference between cobwebs, hex beams, moxons and spider beams. I would be reading about one and then thinking about a different antenna. They are quite confusing for the new guys. Kind of similar but different.
Thanks and like your videos. Keep it up.
Regarding the landing, ... one thing I use to do when I flew (not much at all) was I'd come in and of course going slow and close to stall, but not stall, ... ... thinkin of the last two feet, I would let the craft lower down but I never thought of the actual touch. As it would naturally get closer I kept the "idea and feeling" to keep it closer and closer to stall but pretend to not let it touch and I purposely pulled back on the yoke. Well, more often than not I'd almost touch and not really feeling much. It's like coming to a brake stop in a car but not letting it feel the actual stop.. light peddle and finally a stop.
The flare is an acquired skill. You'll get there. Just be ready for it to be completely different on your next type🙂
Do NOT get discouraged on landing. Took me until I had about 700 hours in my log before I could (nearly) consistently kiss the runway instead of doing carrier landings.
It is one of those things that will just click when it happens --- just like flying the ILS. Don't get discouraged. As long as you don't break that landing gear, you're doing great.
((Just hold the thought ---- most airline pilots can't land smoothly either [when was the last airline flight you took that you couldn't feel the touchdown on?]))
Thanks bud!
Dave, I have a 50ft freestanding tower on a homemade laydown mount which is a 4x4x5ft cement-filled hole with 6 rebars. Do you think it would hold a hex?
Dave as a ham who did a restricted private pilots license …. I found the flair problematic until I realised the following. As you come down you are looking mostly DOWN… this is good (as that is where the runway is) but as you get lower the ground starts to blur and things are happening way too fast. Once I started looking forward earlier and looking at the HORIZON I was able to evaluate the sink and my landing flair was much better 73 de VK2AOE
Isn't the driven element guyed back to the mast like a "W" and also fed there directly at the mast?
Thank you.
I have not used a hexbeam, so I learned something. N0QFT
thank you dave
Thanks
Is a fiberglass mast suitable?
David, is it recommended to put a fence around the perimeter of the aerial even if it is not required? it would have to be wide enough to allow the aerial to fall in any direction and still be within the confounds of the fence. what are your thoughts?
I mean - if you have kids, or animals that would be an excellent idea regardless.
@@notsure7874 yea, looking back at it now. i'd say yes, but my wallet says no.
@@supyrow For sure. Fences are surprisingly expensive. Even just T posts and 4x4 in the corner with hogwire for something like that is several hundred bucks, and a lot of work.
@@notsure7874 indeed! thank for your input
Thanks Dave. What diameter Aluminum pipe did you use?
I second this question! I watched twice to see if I could find a diameter. I'd imagine 1 1/2" would suffice for a guyed sched 40 aluminum pipe. Top rail is 1 3/8, but it's super thin walled compared to sched 40. 2" might be a better choice, idk.
Is it Mastrant?
I think he was asking about the actual hub
Looks like you're using an IBM Model M keyboard there! (keebs are my other hobby)
why do you care about ham radio when we have high speed internet to communicate on?
Because it's way more fun to talk to someone half way around the world on a wet noodle and a Altoids box radio you built.
point A to point B communication without a trillion dollars worth of infrastructure in the middle seems like a good skill to have.