Build an HF long wire balloon antenna
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- We made a long wire vertical antenna suspended from a helium balloon over the river, at 25 watts and an MFJ 993b autotuner to tune it on 40 meters at field day 2016 at the Wabasso causeway north of Vero Beach Florida. It was a successful antenna and worked very well at around 25 watts.
That guy communicating with Pennsylvania has a great "radio voice". He'd make a good DJ :)
Nice way to get an antenna up! Hams are also beginning to use tethered drones to lift their antennas as well!! ;)
I suppose when you consider the cost and availability of helium in an emergency situation electricity is more accessible and cheaper in the long term. I’ve heard people talk about the desire to try a live tether to keep a quadcopter charged in flight but I’ve yet to see anyone really make it work.
Looks like you guys had a great field day.. Like the homebrew antennas
Such a simple and great idea, thanks for sharing!
Outstanding video OM! I always wanted to try this! 73 de AC6GM!
That is a great idea! Thanks for sharing
That Was a nice antenna I like it that would be a good antenna to use for camping and I like your field day Site that you are at thanks for posting that on here 73. From KD7KYB
I love it.
The helium sold for filling party balloons is typically only about 35 - 40% helium, the rest is nitrogen or clean, dry air. Helium's expensive, and 35% gives enough lift to amuse the kiddies.
I feel bad that I have a large cylinder of helium that's been sitting in my shop for years that's full and someone like y'all could actually make use of it instead of using those little bottles.
Did you throw out a saltwater counterpoise into the water?
Use two or three for a 40-meter dipole :) I'd love to get ultra light coax and see how high you could get an antenna for some insane HAAT.
You can use a gondola helium balloon with an electronically controlled release gas valve plus a pair of opt-bnc photoelectric converters and a 10km photoelectric composite cable. Try releasing the balloon to an altitude of 10km or higher (depending on the balloon and the photoelectric composite cable) steel wire strength).
А как же гражданская авиация ? Если я запущу шар на эту высоту-вы захотите оказаться на самолёте рядом ?
@@patintermatroskin3650 Hopefully, whoever is behind the controls of the aircraft are being observant, and hopefully can see an 8 foot balloon, and has enough sense to navigate around it. There ARE other aircraft out there.
I've always wanted to try this. You guys rock. (But real men use hydrogen. At least for a minute or so.)
LOL
LOL, considering the cost of helium.... a hydrogen generator is looking a LOT less dangerous..........
@@speedbuggy16v Just observe your grounding and bonding rules, you'll do okay! LoL
@@DavidMitchell79 ROFL
Why so much QRM/QRN ? Have you got generators running? Seems like it should be quieter out there.
good idea
Just curious about the 100ft wire antenna; did you use a counterpoise of some kind? It looks like there was a small wire running off the back of the tuner but not sure if that was a counterpoise (not grounded) or a ground wire (rather light for that use). Please discuss.
Glen - KE7FD
hello I think you guys forgot the counterpoise that's why you get that particular "motorboat" sound on the radio. 73w
Yeah, another starnd of wire thrown out into that saltwater would do the trick!
Never heard back whether you guys used countetpoise wires on the end-fed. It'd be instructive for others to know more about your antenna.
ke7fd
We didn't use a counterpoise, which would have made it a lot better. Also the tuner has a 4:1 balun inside for long wire, which it should have been used with a 9:1 UNUN instead for end fed wire.....
Ahhh... Yes, improvements for next year. We didn't use a balloon but we had one 84ft end-fed, with countetpoise wires. Wasn't pretty but became our go-to antenna by the end of the day. A homemade 9:1 unun worked like a champ. The coax is unbalanced and going to an end-fed (very lopsided dipole) which is also unbalanced. So unun instead of balun. Depending on various factors on the antenna the impedance will be high so safest route is a 9:1. Thanks for the video and the update.
Between that balloon antenna, and the hexbeam and all other antennas they had there, my MFJ magnetic loop antenna smashed them all on 20 meters.. I got some other loops on the way now because i can't believe how well they work...more videos soon.
a single wire on the ground would have helped!
One of my first contacts back in the 70s with a national tube transceiver, probably 30w lsb, was with a station in Antarctica. He had a VERY long wire. I had a 1/4 wave full length 40m on top of a barn, with radials hanging all over . So, I've looked far and wide for very long wire examples, probably 1000 ft area . Not seeing them on UA-cam. Interested in what impedance would be seen for instance. There were also recommended lengths , I think I have that table somewhere. Maybe I'll just throw mine up and try it out.
I read somewhere they lay out dipoles and longwires out on top the ice and get after it. 👍
@@theunconventionaldeal3879 Well, doubt they can run to a tree , so who knows, something like that.
So static wasn’t a concern? Or did you have string on the balloon as a leader then the wire?
Looks like fun. Was the auto tuner continually making adjustments to the match as the antenna moved around? Could you have done the same thing with a manual tuner, or would you be having to adjust it all the time?
it really didnt change much, but we needed a 9:1 UNUN instead of the built in balun on the tuner, it would have worked better.. end fed 9:1
Interesting. It would have been great if you had the small loop with the loop tuner running at the same time for comparison. After watching your loop tuner videos I have thought about modifying my SPC Transmatch ATU to work as an SPC or a loop tuner by installing a ceramic switch. I may do a video about it.
Would this work to pull cell phone service in ?
Did you have inverter noise from solar in those radios?
How do you retrieve the baloon?
Seems like very little helium in those tanks
Need more than 250cuft to fill the balloon
Ground stake?
"Talk on any band, to anywhere in the world, at any time." I want some of what he's smoking. (or his radio station) *lol*
I bet it's true... but it depends on season, time of cycle and time of day. :) But you know, I'm sure he'll pass it "to the left" if you tell him not to bogart. :D
Build an HF long wire balloon antenna should be ------>Build a HF long wire balloon antenna.. Dmn I think I will subscribe to these videos some are interesting stuff.
well, actually, grammatically speaking, you wouldn't say "a hf" it's like saying "a apple" I know HF doesn't start with a vowel but X ray woukd not start with "a X ray machine, " it woukd be AN X ray machine
good point. A and An should be re-written. It`s needing more modernised.
What kind of wire did you use please
What logging software for the MacBook at the table?
is this video about how to slowly inflate a balloon?
ranoldoe thanks for watching, 73
A good way to gain height
I need one so I can harass animals with a tinyhawk
40 lb ss fishing wire,and let it fly.works good untill it builds up static electricity and bites your ass.3 to 500 feet works.