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Re: [TowerTalk] TH7 installed but not resonant--well now sorta

To: w5xb@att.net, towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] TH7 installed but not resonant--well now sorta
From: TexasRF@aol.com
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:56:34 -0500 (EST)
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Hi Grant, what balun are you using and how is it connected to the driven  
element?
 
The feed impedance is affected by the balun connection wire length and  
spacing and needs to be just as shown in the assembly manual.
 
73,
Gerald K5GW
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 11/21/2011 6:36:38 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
w5xb@att.net writes:

Hi Mike,  Bob, Jim, Jim H., and other TH7 experts,

Installer didn't show, got  hung up on morning job that 
turned out to be a "monster," and I don't mean  SteppIR 
Monster.

So...against the XYLs protests, gathered tools and  went up 
the tower...wasn't too bad, just took it easy.

Found tuning  rods 1/4" from boom to mast plate...loosened 
all the 3/8" nuts and rotated  the rods about 3/4+" away.

Found 10m director attach nut 1/4" from  gamma match over it. 
Can't reach that far...so I got a wood wedge and  raised rod 
to 1/2" + above attach point.

Blew leaves off of  roof--now that hurt.

Checked with MFJ analyzer.

10m SWR 2:1  (never lower) from bottom up 800 KHz.

15m SWR 2.6 (best it gets) at  20.9 Mhz.

20m SWR 2.9 (best it gets) at 13.7 Mhz.

The curves:  10m decreasing SWR from 28.0 Mhz and flat at 
28.8

15m increasing  SWR from 21.0 Mhz

20m increasing SWR from 13.7 Mhz

This one  has me,  elements would appear to be long, sorta, 
but they are exact  lengths former CW owner had reporting all 
SWR under 2:1

Coax is LMR  400 which was fine on TA33 at a kw.

So it is still something wrong in  matching? Bad balun? Bad 
driven element traps?

Ideas or past  experiences welcome.

73s,

Grant
W5XB


-----  Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Ryan"  <mryan001@tampabay.rr.com>
To: "'W5XB'" <w5xb@att.net>
Sent:  Sunday, November 20, 2011 8:15 PM
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] TH7 installed  but not resonant


> Grant, The TH7 differs from the TH6 in a  number of 
> ways...lots of people
> think they are the same  antenna. They are decidedly no. 
> The TH7 has FIVE
> elements on  10 meters. It was designed to be more broad 
> banded on that  band.
> I hope that you have a TRUED assembly manual. I read the  
> ideas passed to you
> and the hints on what to look for. I had  one up in 
> Virginia in the early 80s
> and again ( the same  antenna ) in the mid 90s.  I thought 
> it was a great
>  antenna. Good luck with it.  - Mike
>
> -----Original  Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
>  [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> W5XB
>  Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2011 7:36 PM
> To: Towertalk
> Subject:  Re: [TowerTalk] TH7 installed but not resonant
>
> Thanks, Jim,  Bob, and Jim H.,
>
> Excellent suggestions all. I will summarize  these and give
> them all to him before he goes up the  tower.
>
> Thanks guys, these were just the kind of ideas I was  
> looking
> for.
>
> Cheers all  around,
>
> 73s,
>
> Grant
>  W5XB
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jim  Hargrave" <w5ifp@gvtc.com>
> To: "W5XB"  <w5xb@att.net>
> Cc: "Towertalk"  <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2011 5:52  PM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] TH7 installed but not  resonant
>
>
>> Grant,
>>
>> I would be  concerned about the bolt. It could be shorting
>> something  out.
>>
>> I would also have him check the straps from the  balun to
>> the driven element.
>>
>> Also make  sure the coax has not pulled out of the
>> connector on the  balun.
>>
>> Its also possible the link between the two  driven 
>> elements
>> was bent and
>> shorted  together during installation. These tubes cross
>> over between  the
>> elements.
>>
>>    73s de  Jim
>>        W5IFP
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  >  -----Original Message-----
>>  > From:  towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
>>  >  [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com]On Behalf Of
>>  W5XB
>>  > Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2011 3:02  PM
>>  > To: towertalk@contesting.com
>>  >  Subject: [TowerTalk] TH7 installed but not resonant
>>   >
>>  >
>>  > Looking for help on my "new  to me" TH7DX.
>>  >
>>  > Was not used  couple of years, cleaned it up, read and
>> used  the
>>  > manual, put it together, and put it on top of  an
>> asphalt
>>  > shingle roof at 25  ft.
>>  >
>>  > Checked with MFJ analyzer,  and found it resonant low,
>> about
>>  > 13.7 Mhz  as expected. The other bands were low too, 
>> but
>> 10  m
>>  > was about 2:1. It "heard" almost as well as the  TA33.
>> Figured, all ok.
>>  >
>>   > Due to back injury (lawn mower accident!) can't climb
>>  right
>>  > now, so I had an installer take the TA33 down and  put
>> the TH7
>>  > up on 65' self supporting tower  with no surrounding
>> obstacles.
>>   >
>>  > Now the antenna is not resonant anywhere. Best SWR  is
>> 9:1 at 14
>>  > Mhz, resistance is 10 ohms,  x=57. Coax checks with .9
>> db loss.
>>  > The  "hearing" is now about nil, like a wire hooked to 
>> a
>>  piece of coax.
>>  >
>>  > Have looked at  the antenna with binoculars. The attach
>> points
>>   > for both driven elements look as they should, but I
>> can't  see
>>  > the gamma match from the ground.
>>   >
>>  > The installer is not familiar with the TH7, but  has 
>> put
>> up
>>  > dozens of SteppIrs,  and monobanders. He did mention
>> something
>>  >  about "adding a bolt near the Gama match tubes" ... 
>>  not
>> sure
>>  > what he did. Boom support is  Philly Strand.
>>  >
>>  > Will of course  show installer, the assembly manual and
>> ask
>>  >  about the added bolt.
>>  >
>>  > Installer  is coming back Monday afternoon to check 
>> out.
>>   >
>>  > Any clues about what to check, greatly  appreciated!
>>  >
>>  > Many thanks and  73s,
>>  >
>>  > Grant
>>   > W5XB
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >  _______________________________________________
>>   >
>>  >
>>  >
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