2 Meter and 70 CM Antenna Tripod Project

[K9DWB]

Yep and thanks to both. I'll say this, prcguy, you know what you're talking about. The tripod you suggested is excellent for this type use. I will note if I want to collapse the extended mast, that air charge resists a bit, but it does make it very easy to extend. I'm going to put the Neewer bags on the list. I'll probably go with rocks for the weight as I can't find my sand castle shovel from years ago. OK seriously, I think for me rocks may be easier to do than shoveling sand.

And I'll be spot spraying the antenna with a few other colors to hide it a bit better. The odd choice of matte hunter green actually isn't bad where the antenna is now, but I'd like to break it up a bit and add a few splashes of other colors. I found that Lowe's has some camo labeled spray paints that I'll take a look at in a few days after SSDI monthly hits the account.

 

[kayleesdad]

Interesting, the new diamond vX30A doesn't have radials. Half wave on 2m and 5/8 wave on 70cm. 2.15 dbi/5.5dbi. Wonder if the lack of radials affects propagation relative to the X30A.

 

[AK9R]

I don't think those are radials. The X30 is a half-wave on 2m which really doesn't need any kind of ground plane which radials would provide.

I believe that those elements sticking out from the bottom are there to decouple the antenna from the feedline. You don't want RF travelling down the shield of the coax which those decoupling elements would tend to block.

Where are you seeing the Diamond X30 without those elements?

 

[kayleesdad]

The VX30A in hand from Gigaparts.

Would this vx30a benefit from a vhf/uhf ferrite choke if it doesn't have decoupling elements? I may put it up high sometimes.

Reading from the package it does have 2 5/8 elements for 70cm, 1.3 m length, and 0.7kg weight.

 

[prcguy]

I would put three #43 mix ferrite snap on beads around the coax. If the mounting bracket is connected to the coax shield then a metal mast may have some RF currents on it.

The VX30A in hand from Gigaparts.

Would this vx30a benefit from a vhf/uhf ferrite choke if it doesn't have decoupling elements? I may put it up high sometimes.

Reading from the package it does have 2 5/8 elements for 70cm, 1.3 m length, and 0.7kg weight.

 

[kayleesdad]

Thanks, I have some 100-1000 mhz Palomar vhf-uhf 1:1 snap on feed line common mode choke kit.