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Messages - caulktel

#121
Ray,

That was very elegantly put, Thanks.

Joel
N6ALT
#122
Antennas / Re: Trapped EFHW info
July 01, 2017, 10:54:19 AM
Hi Bob,

I agree with you about the LNR transformers, I have several, and have built at least five myself, they are 60:1. They are what I use most of the time. I will try the 63' wire you mentioned and see if I can get it resonate on both bands. Thanks for your help.

Joel
N6ALT
#123
Antennas / Re: Trapped EFHW info
June 30, 2017, 01:21:09 PM
Well my trapped EFHW was a epic failure. After getting the 20 meter section perfectly tuned with the trap on the end of the wire, I added the 40 meter section. 20 was still fine but the 40 meter section was too long and resonating at about 6.8Mhz, so I started cutting it to get it in band, well that messed up the 20 meter side, so I had to add a foot to it to get it back in tune, then 40 was out again, so I cut some more off the 40 meter side, then the whole antenna became messed up. 20 was resonate in 2 places, neither of which were in the ham bands and 40 was no longer resonate at all. It got so hot outside, I packed up and went home:-( I don't know if I want to try this again, I may just stick with mono band EFHW antennas. Bob, are you saying a 63' wire is resonate on 40 and 20 without a tuner? I have used it that way, but always needed a tuner on 20.

Joel
N6ALT
#124
Thanks Gil, I'm rather proud of my IC-251A. I'm using it with a halo antenna right now and it seems to work very good with low SWR. I also have a small 40 watt 2 meter amp, but have not had to use it yet. I'm mostly working local SSB right now. Where did you find a CTCSS board? I would have though those would be hard to find by now. I had to completely rebuild the mic, but it sounds good now and has the DTMF pad in it. Great old radio.

Joel
N6ALT
#125
Antennas / Re: Trapped EFHW info
June 24, 2017, 01:02:12 PM
 Lamewolf, that's the same transformer I use on all my EFHWs. Works great on all bands.

Joel
N6ALT
#126
Hi Gil,

A Ham friend of mine gave me the US version because it didn't work. I was able to restore it back to working order. It is a great radio.

Joel
N6ALT
#127
Antennas / Re: Chameleon PLOOP 2.0.
June 24, 2017, 12:47:56 PM
I built one out of copper tubing and PVC pipe and a air variable cap from Ebay. $30 total. The problem is, it's not portable and wont fit in my car, so I guess that why they get the big $$$, portability.

Joel
N6ALT
#128
I built a new Trapped EFHW for 20/40 meters to use for Field day, and planned to go portable today, but today is going to be the hottest day of the year, (about 110 F), so I decided to stay in my air conditioned shack and work a few people from here instead. I know, I gave up to easy:-(

Joel
N6ALT
#129
Antennas / Re: Trapped EFHW info
June 13, 2017, 06:33:33 PM
Thanks Bob, that was the exact information I was looking for.

Joel
N6ALT
#130
Hi Gil,

I have noticed the same thing as you, that the cells when they come off the charger are right at 4.1 volts then they slowly drop to about 4 volts, so I'm glad that is normal. I have a Chinese Constant Current Load, (N8Q2),  that I checked the same battery on by discharging it to 3V, and it showed the battery at 1750Mah which seems closer to normal than the Imax. Maybe I'm not setting the Imax up correctly. I'm having it discharge at 500ma and have it set for a 1S battery, I'm not sure what else to do. Still learning, and wished I hadn't recycled all those laptop batteries over the years. I'm a computer tech:-( 73

Joel
N6ALT
#131
Antennas / Re: Trapped EFHW info
June 12, 2017, 09:49:01 AM
Ray, thanks for the info. I'm presently using a 40 meter EF 0n 20 with a tuner, but the performance is not as good as a cut to length antenna. I can switch between the two in my shack and there are signals that pop up up that can't even be heard on the 40 meter wire with the tuner, so I'm hoping a properly tuned trap would be better. I have never used them before, but like Gil, I would rather not have to take my antenna down to change bands.

Joel
N6ALT
#132
Antennas / Trapped EFHW info
June 11, 2017, 06:58:42 PM
Hi all,

I normally use EFHW antennas for all my portable ops with a 28ft fiberglass pole, but they are all mono band, so I got this idea to make a multi band 20,40 meter EFHW using these traps from, http://www.sotabeams.co.uk/pico-traps-kit-pair/ I understand how to tune the traps, but I'm not clear on how to determine where to place the trap on the wire. I assume being as I want to use it on 20 and 40, that it needs to be approximately 66 feet long total length, but where do I insert the 20 meter trap, at 33 feet? I have done a lot of searching, but have not found a definitive answer on how to figure it. Do I build the 20 meter section first with the trap at the end and tune it to length, then add the 40 meter section? Any help would be appreciated.

Joel
N6ALT 
#133
So I bought a Imax B6, (not the fake one). After calibrating it so the voltage reading agrees with my accurate multi meter, I find that it will only charge a single 18650 cell to 4.1 volts or slightly less. I know 4.2 volts is the upper limit, so should it be going higher or is simply being safe. Is that normal? Also the old laptop batteries that I'm using all show that they only are rated at about 1000mah, I thought these were 2200mah batteries. maybe they are just going bad as they are pretty old. I am finding there is a lot to this LiIo charging, but I am determined to build me some portable battery packs. I ordered some balancing cables for the Imax 6 so I can balance charge my packs. Still learning.

Joel
N6ALT
#134
Found it, thanks.

Joel
N6ALT
#135
Hey Gil,

I have the MR100 also and have had good success with mine. In your video review you said you would post the graphing software somewhere? In any case I cant seem to find it. Also, my power switch is down in the right bottom side of the tester, where yours is on top I noticed, otherwise everything seems to be the same.

Joel
N6ALT