HFU HF Underground

Loggings => 22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons => Topic started by: Beerus Maximus on January 26, 2018, 0103 UTC

Title: BEER is on the air 13566.00
Post by: Beerus Maximus on January 26, 2018, 0103 UTC
BEER is a Black Cat Systems 22m beacon kit (see: https://blackcatsystems.com/rf-products/22_meter_band_part_15_beacon_kit.html) 13566 is the area-ish.

It is assembled and on the air, transmitting from the Boston suburbs. As of 1/25/2018 the antenna is an end-fed 20M dipole not far off the ground. It is outdoors, but not far above the ground right now. Not entirely ideal, but it's possible someone may hear this beacon. Antenna improvements when the weather is warmer.

Valid reception reports will be rewarded with a nice printed QSL card.  Submit reports to: beerusmaximus@gmail.com. An audio recording, SDR capture, or legitimate waterfall screen scrape will get you a card. Note, a postal mailing address is required to receive a card.

Once again, target frequency is 13566.0-ish.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Pigmeat on January 27, 2018, 1903 UTC
Any luck yet? I've tried a couple of times but it's nothing but a buzz saw of noise here in that region of the band.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Beerus Maximus on January 28, 2018, 1339 UTC
No reports yet. The beacon is on the air 24/7.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: tesla on January 29, 2018, 0044 UTC
I have been listening for it...in time it will show up in Colorado is my guess.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Finman on January 29, 2018, 1955 UTC
Just wondering, how is a dipole "end fed"?

BEER is a Black Cat Systems 22m beacon kit (see: https://blackcatsystems.com/rf-products/22_meter_band_part_15_beacon_kit.html) 13560.720 is the area-ish.

It is assembled and on the air, transmitting from the Boston suburbs. As of 1/25/2018 the antenna is an end-fed 20M dipole not far off the ground. It is outdoors, but not far above the ground right now. Not entirely ideal, but it's possible someone may hear this beacon. Antenna improvements when the weather is warmer.

Valid reception reports will be rewarded with a nice printed QSL card.  Submit reports to: beerusmaximus@gmail.com. An audio recording, SDR capture, or legitimate waterfall screen scrape will get you a card. Note, a postal mailing address is required to receive a card.

Once again, target frequency is 13560.720-ish.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Beerus Maximus on January 30, 2018, 1204 UTC
Just wondering, how is a dipole "end fed"?

With a tuning fork.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Josh on January 31, 2018, 1700 UTC
Just wondering, how is a dipole "end fed"?

A dipole is considered to be such when the total length of the radiating elements are a half wavelength at the frequency of operation. If fed in the middle (where current is max and voltage is min) you get a low impedance wich is suited for coax. If fed on the end (where voltage is max and current is min) you see around 2k ohms impedance, a considerable hurdle for coax matching that will require a transformer to efficiently transfer power from coax to antenna or vice versa. End feed sometimes exacerbates rfi issues in the shack, but ferrites placed on the feed line can mitigate these unwanted effects.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Finman on January 31, 2018, 1713 UTC
FYI.... there is no such thing as an "end fed dipole". A dipole is center fed. An end fed wire is not a "dipole".
The exception being an O.C.F. dipole (G5RV).

The impedance at the feedpoint of an end fed wire depends on  the length of the wire and frequency of operation, not just "2k ohms"   ;)
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Beerus Maximus on February 03, 2018, 0130 UTC
BEER is off the air. The house cleaners took some extra liberties with my shack and somehow managed to destroy the beacon. Looks like the power cable got tangled in a vacuum and the board beaten up in the bristles. My bad for not getting it into a box and tucked away.

Hopefully back on the air soon when I can affect some repairs.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Pigmeat on February 03, 2018, 0753 UTC
Just wondering, how is a dipole "end fed"?

With a tuning fork.

LMAO!
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Josh on February 04, 2018, 1549 UTC
BEER is off the air. The house cleaners took some extra liberties with my shack and somehow managed to destroy the beacon. Looks like the power cable got tangled in a vacuum and the board beaten up in the bristles. My bad for not getting it into a box and tucked away.

Hopefully back on the air soon when I can affect some repairs.

This post requires pics.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Josh on February 04, 2018, 1552 UTC
FYI.... there is no such thing as an "end fed dipole". A dipole is center fed. An end fed wire is not a "dipole".
The exception being an O.C.F. dipole (G5RV).

The impedance at the feedpoint of an end fed wire depends on  the length of the wire and frequency of operation, not just "2k ohms"   ;)

A dipole is usually taken to be 1/2 wave long for the frequency in question, and the ends see around 2k ohms z.
:D
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Finman on February 05, 2018, 1232 UTC
Again, a DIPOLE is center fed, not end fed. You are confusing an end fed wire with a dipole.


FYI.... there is no such thing as an "end fed dipole". A dipole is center fed. An end fed wire is not a "dipole".
The exception being an O.C.F. dipole (G5RV).

The impedance at the feedpoint of an end fed wire depends on  the length of the wire and frequency of operation, not just "2k ohms"   ;)

A dipole is usually taken to be 1/2 wave long for the frequency in question, and the ends see around 2k ohms z.
:D
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: QRP on February 05, 2018, 1855 UTC
Hope this could be a response to the dispute in the subject antennas  :)
http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?topic=95835.0

//QRP
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Finman on February 06, 2018, 1208 UTC
And again, incorrectly stated several times by some hams that don't know any better in that discussion, an "END FED WIRE" is not a "DIPOLE" and there is no such thing as an "END FED DIPOLE"

Here's the definition of a "Dipole"

"A dipole antenna is the simplest type of radio antenna, consisting of a conductive wire rod that is half the length of the maximum wavelength the antenna is to generate. This wire rod is split in the middle, and the two sections are separated by an insulator."

Notice the "middle" reference? A wire that is fed at the end is, an "End fed wire" antenna.

Another one = "A dipole antenna is a straight electrical conductor measuring 1/2 wavelength from end to end and connected at the center to a radio-frequency (RF) feed line"



Hope this could be a response to the dispute in the subject antennas  :)
http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?topic=95835.0

//QRP
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Finman on February 06, 2018, 1252 UTC
Wow.... sorry to hear that. I'm glad I clean my own shack, too much stuff to break to let someone else do it.  :P :P

Please let us know when it's back on the air.  8)

BEER is off the air. The house cleaners took some extra liberties with my shack and somehow managed to destroy the beacon. Looks like the power cable got tangled in a vacuum and the board beaten up in the bristles. My bad for not getting it into a box and tucked away.

Hopefully back on the air soon when I can affect some repairs.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Josh on February 06, 2018, 1818 UTC
And the responses of a halfwave antenna operating at the frequency of resonance, "dipole" or end fed, are exactly the same, radiation angles, the same current and voltage minima and maxima at the same points along the length of radiator, etc.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: QRP on February 06, 2018, 1824 UTC
Just by listening to a radio transmitter, you can not determine how the antenna is fed. The most important thing is that the signal reaches your receiver so you can hear it and the rest is irrelevant.
Keep going BEER!
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13560.720
Post by: Finman on February 08, 2018, 1159 UTC
You're wrong but I understand, you want to call an apple a pear. No problem!  ::) ::) ::)

... but back to the original post, there is no such thing as an end fed dipole.

And the responses of a halfwave antenna operating at the frequency of resonance, "dipole" or end fed, are exactly the same, radiation angles, the same current and voltage minima and maxima at the same points along the length of radiator, etc.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13566.00
Post by: Beerus Maximus on February 08, 2018, 1613 UTC
BEER is back on the air. I added a cap at C16 to move the freq up. BEER is now at 13566 KHz.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13566.00
Post by: Finman on February 08, 2018, 1809 UTC
Great to hear it Beer... I'll shut my beacon off this weekend and give a listen.



BEER is back on the air. I added a cap at C16 to move the freq up. BEER is now at 13566 KHz.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13566.00
Post by: Beerus Maximus on February 08, 2018, 1839 UTC
Later this spring/summer I'll get a properly nourished antenna in the air for this beacon. But I'm hoping someone might be able to catch it as it is now.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13566.00
Post by: Pigmeat on February 08, 2018, 1937 UTC
This was starting to reach the level of the JTA-Radio Bob battle over whether a dipole was a balanced or unbalanced antenna. I don't think anyone gave a crap but those two? They certainly proved they were unbalanced for arguing about it the way they did.

That little episode was the birth of a decade plus of on and off "Pirate Wars".
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13566.00
Post by: Finman on February 08, 2018, 2001 UTC
It's all good!. Changing word meanings is fun!  ;D

This was starting to reach the level of the JTA-Radio Bob battle over whether a dipole was a balanced or unbalanced antenna. I don't think anyone gave a crap but those two? They certainly proved they were unbalanced for arguing about it the way they did.

That little episode was the birth of a decade plus of on and off "Pirate Wars".
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13566.00
Post by: Finman on February 08, 2018, 2004 UTC
Is that foam from an IPA in your avatar?


Later this spring/summer I'll get a properly nourished antenna in the air for this beacon. But I'm hoping someone might be able to catch it as it is now.
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13566.00
Post by: aurora on February 23, 2018, 2154 UTC
Good signal SIO 454 (my noise level just under S4)

2137 - cw slow speed "beerbeerbeer"

2140 - S4 signal; recording named BEER Beacon L0223I01.MP3 and available @ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14l0hIz_KVhAB7IRgRM8cCb-ZSu0GAAaj?usp=sharing

2142 - S5 signal; recording named BEER Beacon L0223I02.MP3 and available @ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14l0hIz_KVhAB7IRgRM8cCb-ZSu0GAAaj?usp=sharing

2227 - finally faded out to a bare whisper
Title: Re: BEER is on the air 13566.00
Post by: Beerus Maximus on February 24, 2018, 1905 UTC
Congratulations, Aurora. You are the first confirmed reception of BEER. The audio files you have provided are definitive. I have also received your email. A QSL will be in the works, but please be patient. Thanks for looking out for my beacon (and hat-tip to Black Cat Systems).