Antennas

Modified

July 12, 2024

The mountaintop station has many antennas from which to choose. We have rotatable Yagis and fixed position dipoles. We have resonant antennas on 160m, 80m, 40m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, and very soon, 6m. This page describes them.

Towers

With the help of K3ARL’s team from Centre Communications, the club maintains four towers.

60 foot tower

  • 4 element Mosley triband (10, 15, 20m + WARC bands - 12 and 17m) Yagi
  • 40m dipole
Figure 11.1: 60 foot tower

100 foot tower

  • VHF 4 element vertical orientation Yagi + rotator
  • 2 VHF fixed direction vertical orientation 6 element Yagis (W3YA system)
  • VHF 2m vertical polarization
  • 20m dipole

100 foot tower

80 foot tower

  • 4 element triband (10, 15, 20m + WARC) Yagi
    • Rotor
  • 160m dipole
  • 40m dipole

80 foot tower

60 foot tower

  • VHF vertical
  • 80m dipole oriented N/S

60 foot tower

Antennas by band

10, 12, 15, 17, 20m

  • 4 element triband (10, 15, 20m + WARC bands - 12 and 17m) Yagi (on 60 foot tower)
  • 4 element Mosley Classic triband (10, 15, 20m + WARC bands - 12 and 17m) Yagi (on 80 foot tower) (new in 2023)

Rotator and Controller

Both Mosley triband antennas are moved by (new in 2023) Yaesu G-2800 rotators.

Figure 11.2: Yaesu G-2800 rotator

A Green Heron RT-21 Rotator Controller controls each Yaesu rotator.

Figure 11.3: Green Heron RT-21
Manuals
Coming soon…

Mark K0LO is configuring a PC server so that all of the NARC computers can control the rotators.

40m

  • Dipole (on 100 foot tower )
    • Current out of service.
  • Dipole (on 80 foot tower)
Note

The 40m dipole on the 100 foot tower has been replaced with a 20m dipole. A replacement 40m/80m fan dipole has been ordered. We hope to install the dipole soon.

80m

  • Dipole, CW cut, on 60 foot tower.
  • Dipole, Phone (75m) on other 60 foot tower.

160m

  • Dipole on 80’ north tower.
Note

The 160m dipole is out of service. A replacement has been acquired. The club hopes to install the replacement in Fall 2023.

VHF/UHF

  • The club has acquired a 6m yagi for future installation on the 100 foot tower.
  • The K3YV UHF repeater has its transmit and receive antenna on the 60 foot tower.
  • The club does not have resonant antennas for 30 or 60m.

Future plans

  • The club has plans to replace some of our 40m and 80m single band dipoles with 40m/80m fan dipoles. Those antennas are on-hand, but have not yet been installed.
  • The club has acquired a 6m Yagi. We plan to install that antenna on the 100 foot tower at a future date.
  • There is a vertically polarized 2m Yagi on top of the 100 foot tower. The 6m antenna may replace the 2m antenna, or we may service or replace the 2m antenna.
  • There has been some discussion about installing an HF receive antenna, and about building or installing antennas for 60m and 30m.

Antenna use

Antenna connections in clubhouse interior
  • Confirm that it is impossible for your transceiver to transmit while you are connecting your transceiver’s (color-tagged) feedline to one of the antenna connectors.
  • Switch antennas manually by connecting your radio feedline from array of antenna connectors on the north wall.
  • When you leave the shack, disconnect the transceiver feedline from the antenna you were using and hang it on one of the hooks on the wall using the attached paracord.