Hello friends, I have been off the air for a while now as I built my new shop/garage/office and the time has come to get the radios set up in my new office space. It is a steel building with a steel roof and I am wondering if anybody has any experience with how to work around that. My last location was a regular stick built house with my home made j pole on the roof for VHF and a K8NDS style helically wound magnetic loop for HF also mounted on a pole about 3 feet off the roof.
I am sure I can't be that close to the steel structure, but looking for any knowledge or first hand experience anybody is willing to share with me.
Thank you
Jordan Sideris K6YVJ in Santa Ynez
Jordon,
If you have an active 2M/70CM radio, you may wish to join the SBARC Technical mentoring and Elmering Net this evening at 8:00 PM on our repeater network (see link below for repeater information).
https://www.sbarc.org/repeaters-data-systems/%EF%BF%BC
Warren KN6ZZI
On Oct 3, 2024, at 4:45 PM, Jordan Sideris via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com wrote:
Hello friends, I have been off the air for a while now as I built my new shop/garage/office and the time has come to get the radios set up in my new office space. It is a steel building with a steel roof and I am wondering if anybody has any experience with how to work around that. My last location was a regular stick built house with my home made j pole on the roof for VHF and a K8NDS style helically wound magnetic loop for HF also mounted on a pole about 3 feet off the roof.
I am sure I can't be that close to the steel structure, but looking for any knowledge or first hand experience anybody is willing to share with me.
Thank you
Jordan Sideris K6YVJ in Santa Ynez _______________________________________________ SBARC-list mailing list -- sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com To unsubscribe send an email to sbarc-list-leave@lists.netlojix.com
Jordan - you should try both the 446.400 (now on LaCumbre Peak) and 145.180 (new antenna) repeaters since the upgrades. I'd be curious to know if you can get in from your location. Some people who could not get in before are having success on 5watt HT's. (I don't recall if you were using the 220 repeater on LaCumbre but the remote base isn't there any longer.)
Ken
--On Thursday, October 3, 2024 5:57 PM -0700 WARREN MYERS via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com wrote:
Jordon,
If you have an active 2M/70CM radio, you may wish to join the SBARC Technical mentoring and Elmering Net this evening at 8:00 PM on our repeater network (see link below for repeater information).
https://www.sbarc.org/repeaters-data-systems/
Warren KN6ZZI
On Oct 3, 2024, at 4:45 PM, Jordan Sideris via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com wrote:
Hello friends, I have been off the air for a while now as I built my new shop/garage/office and the time has come to get the radios set up in my new office space. It is a steel building with a steel roof and I am wondering if anybody has any experience with how to work around that. My last location was a regular stick built house with my home made j pole on the roof for VHF and a K8NDS style helically wound magnetic loop for HF also mounted on a pole about 3 feet off the roof.
I am sure I can't be that close to the steel structure, but looking for any knowledge or first hand experience anybody is willing to share with me.
Thank you
Jordan Sideris K6YVJ in Santa Ynez _______________________________________________ SBARC-list mailing list -- sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com To unsubscribe send an email to sbarc-list-leave@lists.netlojix.com
Hey Jordan,
Glad you are coming back around! Try the frequencies Ken mentioned. They really enhance our footprint. That part may be a piece of cake for you.
I don’t know about the loop. I’m sure you heard that K8NDS is a SK now so he won’t be able to give you any advice. AG6LJ may have an opinion or know someone else with that antenna. You guys were cutting edge on that, so the universe of users is pretty small.
I’ll be doing the TM&E net tonight, so check in if you get the chance.
— Brian - K6BPM
On Oct 3, 2024, at 6:16 PM, Ken Alker via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com wrote:
Jordan - you should try both the 446.400 (now on LaCumbre Peak) and 145.180 (new antenna) repeaters since the upgrades. I'd be curious to know if you can get in from your location. Some people who could not get in before are having success on 5watt HT's. (I don't recall if you were using the 220 repeater on LaCumbre but the remote base isn't there any longer.)
Ken
--On Thursday, October 3, 2024 5:57 PM -0700 WARREN MYERS via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com wrote:
Jordon,
If you have an active 2M/70CM radio, you may wish to join the SBARC Technical mentoring and Elmering Net this evening at 8:00 PM on our repeater network (see link below for repeater information).
https://www.sbarc.org/repeaters-data-systems/
Warren KN6ZZI
On Oct 3, 2024, at 4:45 PM, Jordan Sideris via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com wrote:
Hello friends, I have been off the air for a while now as I built my new shop/garage/office and the time has come to get the radios set up in my new office space. It is a steel building with a steel roof and I am wondering if anybody has any experience with how to work around that. My last location was a regular stick built house with my home made j pole on the roof for VHF and a K8NDS style helically wound magnetic loop for HF also mounted on a pole about 3 feet off the roof.
I am sure I can't be that close to the steel structure, but looking for any knowledge or first hand experience anybody is willing to share with me.
Thank you
Jordan Sideris K6YVJ in Santa Ynez _______________________________________________ SBARC-list mailing list -- sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com To unsubscribe send an email to sbarc-list-leave@lists.netlojix.com
SBARC-list mailing list -- sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com To unsubscribe send an email to sbarc-list-leave@lists.netlojix.com
Ciro Mazzoni recommends this for their STEALTH LOOP https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/mzz-stealth#overview
"intended to be set on a metal table or bench, will work well when placed on top of the metal roof of your parked vehicle and will also work when placed directly on the ground. An optional metal-fabric ground plane mat is available if a non-metallic (wood or plastic) table must be used, or a sheet of metal or metal screen may be used instead, which measures about 5 ft. 3 in. x 2 ft. 6 in. SWR adjustment is made with height adjustable feet." ________________________________ From: Jordan Sideris via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com Sent: Thursday, October 3, 2024 5:45 PM To: sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com Cc: Jordan Sideris jordan@jordansideris.com Subject: [Sbarc-list] VHF and HF Antennas on a Steel Roof
Hello friends, I have been off the air for a while now as I built my new shop/garage/office and the time has come to get the radios set up in my new office space. It is a steel building with a steel roof and I am wondering if anybody has any experience with how to work around that. My last location was a regular stick built house with my home made j pole on the roof for VHF and a K8NDS style helically wound magnetic loop for HF also mounted on a pole about 3 feet off the roof.
I am sure I can't be that close to the steel structure, but looking for any knowledge or first hand experience anybody is willing to share with me.
Thank you
Jordan Sideris K6YVJ in Santa Ynez
Thank you all for the responses. I do love the Thursday night net, probably the best net on the air!
Ken.... I am able to get into 146.79 consistently (or I was before it moved) directly with my 75 watt 2 meter radio and my j pole. I can hit 145.18 easily with a handheld, I do not have a 440 antenna and my only 220 is my handheld. Currently I have nothing set up since I just moved it all into the new building. It is in boxes. I am less worried about the loop, I have some flexibility and longer coax for that, but I would like to get my VHF setup back on my desk so I can join the nets again like I used to.
I did read that the J pole should work as long as it is one wavelength above the roof, which may present some mounting challenges, I am also thinking about trying a mobile antenna designed to use a car's metal roof as a ground plane and mount it on the steel building roof.
Jordan
On Fri, Oct 4, 2024 at 9:06 AM bob bascom via SBARC-list < sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com> wrote:
Ciro Mazzoni recommends this for their STEALTH LOOP https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/mzz-stealth#overview
"intended to be set on a metal table or bench, will work well when placed on top of the metal roof of your parked vehicle and will also work when placed directly on the ground. An optional metal-fabric ground plane mat is available if a non-metallic (wood or plastic) table must be used, or a sheet of metal or metal screen may be used instead, which measures about 5 ft. 3 in. x 2 ft. 6 in. SWR adjustment is made with height adjustable feet."
*From:* Jordan Sideris via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com *Sent:* Thursday, October 3, 2024 5:45 PM *To:* sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com *Cc:* Jordan Sideris jordan@jordansideris.com *Subject:* [Sbarc-list] VHF and HF Antennas on a Steel Roof
Hello friends, I have been off the air for a while now as I built my new shop/garage/office and the time has come to get the radios set up in my new office space. It is a steel building with a steel roof and I am wondering if anybody has any experience with how to work around that. My last location was a regular stick built house with my home made j pole on the roof for VHF and a K8NDS style helically wound magnetic loop for HF also mounted on a pole about 3 feet off the roof.
I am sure I can't be that close to the steel structure, but looking for any knowledge or first hand experience anybody is willing to share with me.
Thank you
Jordan Sideris K6YVJ in Santa Ynez _______________________________________________ SBARC-list mailing list -- sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com To unsubscribe send an email to sbarc-list-leave@lists.netlojix.com
I was actually going to say that that big metal roof may actually HELP you... any car-mount antenna meant to use the car roof as a counterpoise should work great directly mounted to the roof. For that matter, any 'ol whip that has radials should work too; I don't think it would make any difference what is below the radials since they provide the ground plane. Just keep bottom of antenna above the roof.
I may have an extra CX-333 (Comet tri-band 1.2/222/440) whip antenna for sale soon. I use one of these and it works great.
Ken
--On Friday, October 4, 2024 9:30 AM -0700 Jordan via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com wrote:
Thank you all for the responses. I do love the Thursday night net, probably the best net on the air!
Ken.... I am able to get into 146.79 consistently (or I was before it moved) directly with my 75 watt 2 meter radio and my j pole. I can hit 145.18 easily with a handheld, I do not have a 440 antenna and my only 220 is my handheld. Currently I have nothing set up since I just moved it all into the new building. It is in boxes. I am less worried about the loop, I have some flexibility and longer coax for that, but I would like to get my VHF setup back on my desk so I can join the nets again like I used to.
I did read that the J pole should work as long as it is one wavelength above the roof, which may present some mounting challenges, I am also thinking about trying a mobile antenna designed to use a car's metal roof as a ground plane and mount it on the steel building roof.
Jordan
On Fri, Oct 4, 2024 at 9:06 AM bob bascom via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com wrote:
Ciro Mazzoni recommends this for their STEALTH LOOP https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/mzz-stealth#overview
"intended to be set on a metal table or bench, will work well when placed on top of the metal roof of your parked vehicle and will also work when placed directly on the ground. An optional metal-fabric ground plane mat is available if a non-metallic (wood or plastic) table must be used, or a sheet of metal or metal screen may be used instead, which measures about 5 ft. 3 in. x 2 ft. 6 in. SWR adjustment is made with height adjustable feet." __________________________________________________
From: Jordan Sideris via SBARC-list sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com Sent: Thursday, October 3, 2024 5:45 PM To: sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com Cc: Jordan Sideris jordan@jordansideris.com Subject: [Sbarc-list] VHF and HF Antennas on a Steel Roof Hello friends, I have been off the air for a while now as I built my new shop/garage/office and the time has come to get the radios set up in my new office space. It is a steel building with a steel roof and I am wondering if anybody has any experience with how to work around that. My last location was a regular stick built house with my home made j pole on the roof for VHF and a K8NDS style helically wound magnetic loop for HF also mounted on a pole about 3 feet off the roof.
I am sure I can't be that close to the steel structure, but looking for any knowledge or first hand experience anybody is willing to share with me.
Thank you
Jordan Sideris K6YVJ in Santa Ynez _______________________________________________ SBARC-list mailing list -- sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com To unsubscribe send an email to sbarc-list-leave@lists.netlojix.com
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bob bascom -
Brian Milburn -
Jordan -
Jordan Sideris -
Ken Alker -
WARREN MYERS