Author Topic: Beach operations  (Read 4496 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

austinrob

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 41
  • Karma: 3
Beach operations
« on: August 10, 2014, 12:37:45 AM »
I'm going to try to do a beach trip this fall to the gulf coast.  Probably the Port Aransas, TX area. Just me and my radio.  I've got some fiberglass poles on the way, a receiver hitch adapter to hold the antenna mast, I've sorted out a pully for the top. 

So what should I hoist? 
A 43' vertical?  Should I run a counterpoise into the surf?
Off-center fed dipole (windom)?
Just a normal dipole?
Something else?

I've got a MJF-993 I'll take.  It can tune just about anything.

I don't have a beam of any sort.

Wind load is going to be a factor.  It's not uncommon to have 40mph gusts.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

spacecase0

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 790
  • Karma: 34
    • my spiritual forum
Re: Beach operations
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2014, 12:54:37 AM »
wind is your friend

kite antenna,
run a 1.25 wave vertical antenna,
my friend got all the numbers just a bit wrong on the video,
it is 165 foot of wire (if I remember correct) and a 4 to 1 matching transformer that shorts the electrostatic voltage (very critical),
just standard stranded wire form home depot, 14 gauge
about 20 foot of heavy nylon string from the kite before the wire starts so that the kite hits clean air before having to lift anything,
the ground is 35 foot of 3 inch wide copper foil (sold to use the salt water in the bilge of your boat as a ground)
used the trailer hitch of my car to hold it from going anywhere.

best antenna that I have ever used by a large margin
HF kite antenna

AD

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1991
  • Karma: 223
  • Gender: Male
  • Extra Class Ham Radio Op / VE, CERT
Re: Beach operations
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2014, 09:45:20 AM »
Depending on how long you will be there, i would take several and try them.  Do some goggle searching for past DXpeditions where they did this to get some ideas.
The only dumb question is the one that did not get asked!!

unseenone

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 115
  • Karma: 7
  • Gender: Male
Re: Beach operations
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2014, 12:34:27 PM »
Do you know about when you are going, just curious.

austinrob

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 41
  • Karma: 3
Re: Beach operations
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2014, 03:02:10 PM »
Based on temps from last year, I'm thinking late october or early november.

unseenone

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 115
  • Karma: 7
  • Gender: Male
Re: Beach operations
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2014, 06:48:35 PM »
Hmmm, did I just send you an LR3 manual?

austinrob

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 41
  • Karma: 3
Re: Beach operations
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2014, 01:46:17 PM »
not me