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I wanted something reliable, easy to use, easy to make (not buy), and portable in the woods, no electricity/batteries, no butane and spark ignitors (I would probably cause a large forest fire, hi!). I read with interest the recent article that Brian, AB1ZO wrote: “I can’t believe my antenna’s up!” Seeing the pictures of the method he used to toss a line over the tree got me to thinking about a better approach.
POTATO LAUNCHER HOW TO
How to get these new wire antennas hung from the many tall pine trees on the property? In the past, I have used a sling shot to get dipoles up but usually only 50-60 ft.
![potato launcher potato launcher](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dPmqkLvspJQ/hqdefault.jpg)
I hope to have these in place by CQWW SSB later this month. Now I need to work them! I am currently building a 160M/80M “double L”(no ground radials needed), separate 40M and 80M Delta Loops, replacing my older dipoles. The ability to null out interference is unbelievable even when compared to the beverages. My preliminary tests show a significant improvement (8db better signal RX strength and lower noise floor by 2S units) over the beverages and it is steerable every 45 degrees. Note: The components are now offered as a kit in partnership with DXEngineering, with DXE supplying all the interconnecting cables and phasing lines. “If you can’t hear them, you can’t work them!”Ĭurrently, I am in the final stages of building and deploying a 9 circle receiving array developed by the Yankee Clipper Contest Club of which I am a member. This summer, I worked on improving my ability to receive weak signals by building switchable, (bi-directional) beverage antennas for NE/SW, NW/SE and E/W, switchable from my operating position. Latest Project: Beverages and 9-Circle Receiving Array (an article coming in the future) As well as my ability to hear weak signals better with the increased noise on the bands. This summer I started in earnest to revamp my “small pistol” station, knowing that the sun spots are declining and that I needed to improve my low band 160m, 80m and 40M transmitting antennas. Four more confirmed countries on 80M and I will have worked 5Band-DXCC with 100W, proof that at my age, you don’t need a tower, kilowatt and the latest, greatest radio, although they make the challenge easier. Japan is workable but I struggle to get through west coast stations to Asia and the Pacific. above Sea Level with a clear shot to Europe, South America, and the Caribbean. I have worked 90 countries on 160M, 96 on 80M and 303 on 40M with only 100 Watts output with this antenna. I plan to write an article on its construction in the future. more space than a typical 80M inverted Vee dipole (excellent for 160M on a city sized lot).
![potato launcher potato launcher](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0c/38/5c/0c385c38d89d49b31ca64954880ca019.jpg)
I wound all the loading coils for the 80M and 160M traps and it performs very well and takes only 10 ft. At 75 yrs old, I have a modest station, consisting of a Mosely TA33 Tri-bander (circa 1986) on a homebrew mount, at the peak on my single-level home (45ft.) and a homebrew 160-80-40M inverted Vee at 65ft.