We learned a great deal about Amateur Radio Station Construction as part of building our station. The AB1OC-AB1QB station project involved the construction of a dedicated room for a new shack. We also put up a tower-based antenna system. It took Anita and I about 1 1/2 years to build our station. We covered quite a number of areas during the project…
Many folks are stuck at home right now. As a result of the Pandemic, many of us cannot go out to see friends and do their usual activities. We know that many Hams are looking around on the Internet for Amateur Radio project ideas and information. In an effort to help, we recently spent some time organizing all of the information on our blog, https://stationproject.blog concerning Amateur Radio Station construction.
AB1OC-AB1QB Tower and Antennas
There is lots of information on shack design and construction, tower and antenna building, and much more on our Blog. The link above contains lots of information including pictures, videos and how-to information on station-building. There is also a “Virtual Station Tour” available which provides some videos showing our station in operation.
We hope that this article will provide some useful information, ideas, and Ham Radio fun!
I am a new ham operator, since February 2018. I tested at Chelmsford, MA with Billerica Amateur Radio Society VEs for my Technician and General licenses. First-year membership in BARS was a terrific benefit offered when I passed my Technician exam.
My first radio was a Kenwood DH74A HT. In April 2018 I learned of an Amateur Extra License Boot Camp put on by the Nashua Area Radio Society and passed my Amateur Extra exam at the end of the class. A one-year Membership in NARS was an added benefit, the implications of which I had no idea at the time.
Around this same time, I started with HF. I began with an IC-7300 and a very basic wire antenna, a 63 feet wire, end-fed sloper and I was on the air. Since then I’ve changed and added antennas many times and for each antenna made numerous tweaks and reinstallations. By my count, I have at least 15 major iterations of antenna installations at my QTH.
Off-Center Fed Dipole
Buckmaster OCF dipole
This was my Buckmaster Off Center Fed Dipole (300-watt version). It took several upgrades to get to this mature installation, with the feed point at 33 feet and the ends around 10 feet. The orientation is E-W, opposite of the ideal, but that is where the trees were. On this antenna, with 100 watts, I made over 1,000 QSOs and 80 DX entities, even in the doldrums of the solar cycle. Along the way, I had opportunities to operate from more powerful stations, more power and beam antennas. I wanted one!
Planning for a Better Antenna
The project to bring my basic station up to the next level occupied me for much of the next year. I needed to consider many things; spousal approval was top of the list with the budget a close second. I knew that whatever I did, I would be living with it for a long time. I had many QSOs with hams who had hex beams and they all seemed happy with them. Also, I could see on the waterfall display on the IC-7300 that their signals stood out compared with the others. There were always some brighter signals on the scope, beyond what the hex beams looked like and those were often from stations with much larger and more complex antenna systems like SteppIR or Optibeams mounted on towers 60’, 70’ or higher. That level of Antenna was orders of magnitude more expensive, so I will put them on the dream antenna wish list, maybe if I win the lottery. The hex beam antenna was the most antenna I could get, within my budget and that I could install myself, without requiring a tower, man-lift or crane to get it to the optimal height on 20 meters. Once I decided to proceed, I needed to get final spousal approval. My XYL was generically supportive of the hobby but living with the antenna on the roof was another thing. I knew of another ham locally with one, so we drove over to his house to see it. He has a split-level house with lots of trees, so the antenna is not as high off his roof and the trees behind it made it look less imposing than if it was out in the open. That did the trick and she gave me the green light to proceed.
Choosing My Hex Beam
There are many different hex beams to choose from. The first one I selected was back-ordered on parts and they couldn’t take the order for three weeks. I waited and when I went to order it again the parts were still unavailable. I purchased the K4KIO model and ordered it on a Monday. It was delivered on Thursday, so kudos to them for prompt service! K4KIO does not offer an option for a 40-meter bent dipole to be a part of the antenna. They suggest it is better to have a second antenna for 40 meters instead, so it can be installed optimally rather than with the compromises required to have it included on the hex beam framework. I must say I do miss having 40-meters and will be adding an antenna to access it very soon.
Hex Beam Antenna Building
I assembled the antenna in my driveway, with the central hub mounted on a short section of chain link top rail stuck in an umbrella stand. Assembly was simple. They recommend that you paint the spreaders, which I did after assembly, but before the wires. I used white and it looks pretty good.
Painted Hex under construction
To move the antenna from the driveway to the roof I took a full section of the top rail and had my wife steady it on the back of a tall step ladder. I carried the assembled antenna over to it and climbed the ladder to place it onto the top of the top rail. From there I carefully walked it over to the roof of the house. The antenna is only 25 pounds, so not that heavy, but it is on a long pole and has long components so needed to be carefully balanced or it could get away from you.
Roof Mounting Our Hex Beam
XYL is definitely a keeper!
I climbed on the roof and was able to take the antenna and the short mast from my wife, leaving her with the 10-foot top rail pole. I put the antenna on the old tripod from the dipole for temporary use until the tower, rotator and Hex Lock Tilt plate were installed.
Hex on the roof in old mount8 foot Glen Martin Tower
Now at 20 feet, the hex beam can be used. I noticed the difference between the dipole immediately and had lots of fun for the next two weeks until I installed the tower. I climbed on the roof to rotate it. Here is the tower with the Yaesu G8000DXA rotator and GS-65 thrust bearing installed
A Larger Roof Tower
The height from the ground to the peak of my roof was 15 feet. I ordered the 8-foot Glen Martin tower to mount on the roof. I also ordered a Hex Lock Tilt Plate, which accounts for around a foot of height when installed. The main mast extends 6 feet from the top of the tower and there is a small section from the tilt plate to the antenna proper. The antenna is close to 3 feet deep, which would place the 20-meter segment at 33 feet or ½ wavelength exactly. The first step prior to installing the G-M tower was to reinforce the rafters under it to take any additional strain it would cause. I sistered the rafters with 2X8s and then braced them horizontally with additional 2X8s connected to 5 rafters.
Attic bracingMore attic bracing
The 16 lag bolts I used to attach the tower went into either the rafter or sistered 2X8 and it is very secure.
Major components on the roof
Above are the tower and antenna staged for the final steps. I need to remove the pyramid and install the G-M tower next. Relatively shallow pitch on the roof made it easy to work.
A better scale of components
The tower is installed. You can see the scale of the hex beam to the house here.
Antenna mounted on Hexlock Tilt Plate
I removed two bolts from the front side legs of the tower and laid it back, hinging on the rear legs to rest on the sawhorse. It was easy with no antenna attached. Next, I attached the tilt plate to the lower mast section and installed it in the tower. With the tilt plate tilted 90 degrees I was able to place the antenna and short mast into it and tightened up all the nuts, taking care not to deform any of the mast tubes. At this height, it is easy to attach the coax and rotator wire, etc. The next step is to raise it to vertical. I enlisted help for this step. My helper was able to help get the whole assembly up to around 45 degrees and then tend to the antenna angle with the tilt plate. It was not difficult for the two of us, you need to have more than just two hands available. It took less than 5 minutes for us to get it standing upright, then I replaced the bolts on the front legs to the mounting brackets.
How Does It Perform?
Hello World! 20-meter elements at 33 feet.
The antenna is at its final installed height.
Early the next day I heard Frankie VP2MNI in Monserrat having a QSO with Masa JE1LET in Japan and both were very strong signals to me. When I heard that Frankie was with a Japan station I rotated there and was able to hear Masa at a 56. When they finished their QSO I called out and Masa replied first try! What a way to start the day and validation of the hex beam! I was also impressed that I could hear both Monserrat and Japan at the same time, they are on reciprocal headings from Massachusetts, so I had one on front and the other perfectly on the back of the antenna. Both stations are super stations which certainly helped.
Japan QSO on the first day of operation
I had fun making QSOs during the rest of the day and got many good reports on my signal. The last contact I made was KH7XS. Normally this station generates big pileups, but for some reason, everyone had gone to 40-meters and we were almost alone on 20-meters. We had an 18-minute QSO 59 for most of it. Japan in the morning and Hawaii at night, I never had a day like that before the hex beam.
Hawaii QSO on the first day of operation
Not every day has had conditions as good. In summer I often found that if I call CQ between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM or so I get western US stations and did have an NZ station reply to me once.
Take care to use appropriate waterproofing anywhere there is a penetration of the roof. I used caulk in the holes for the lag bolts and sprayed liquid rubber over them to seal it up tightly.
Calibrate the rotator on the ground, it is easier than doing it on the roof.
The antenna is well-grounded. I also ran a separate ground from the tower itself to the ground.
If you move or tilt the tower again, remove any wires you can and address any you can’t. It is easy to ruin a wire or connector and a pain to repair them.
My roof was very easy to work on. It was still high enough to cause a serious injury if I fell from it, so be very careful especially if your roof is steeper or wet.
At the very end of the construction, as I was gathering the last of my tools to climb down off the roof, a pickup truck on the street stopped and the driver rolled down his window. He shouted up to me, “That thing is awesome!” I couldn’t agree more.
We had a great Winter Field Day (WFD) this year! Winter Field Day 2020 provided some real practice and a great chance to develop our Emergency Communications (EMCOM) skills and to get additional practice setting up our towers and antennas.
We operated from Keyes Memorial Park in Milford, NH again in 2020. Keyes provides a great public location, a large open area, and an open pavilion that could be used to construct a temporary outdoor shelter. Jerry K1OKD, Craig, N1SFT, Jon AC1EV, Jamey AC1DC, John KB1EEU, and Fred, AB1OC led the 2019 Winter Field Day Team. Jeff, AC1FX served as our Safety Officer. Also, Anita AB1QB served as the leader of an independent new activity – VHF+ Roving for Winter Field Day.
Winter Field Day Shelter, Heat, Power, and Food
Building Our Shelter
Staying warm, dry, and comfortable is essential for any outdoor operation. This is particularly important for Winter Field Day. John, KB1EEU, Patrick W1YTT, and others handled this very essential and important part of our Winter Field Day 2020 operation by turning the picnic area at Keyes Park into our shelter. They used tarps to close in the area.
WFD Shelter
The photo above shows our completed shelter. The tarps allow for a small open area at the top to allow for air circulation. This is essential for safety and comfort.
NARS Power and Light
The next step was to set up our generators. Craig, N1SFT handled this task. We use Honda 2000/2200 generators in pairs with external fuel tanks. The setup shown above provides over 10,000 watts of power. The external tanks are a great safety feature. They make refueling a much simpler and safer process.
Jerry K1OKD’s Toy – HEAT! Jerry and Peter, KC1FNF set up a propane heater.
Jerry K1OKD and others brought heaters that ran on propane and kerosene. The heaters were very effective and kept our shelter at comfortable temperatures all weekend long.
Winter Field Day Food
Every army runs on its stomachs! Peter KC1FNF helped us during Winter Field Day 2020 but especially by providing meals and snacks to keep us all going. Thank you, Peter!
Tower And Main HF Antennas
Craig N1SFT Beginning Work On Our Tower
Craig, N1SFT led the tower team. Craig and Team’s great work gave us most of our HF band capability at Winter Field Day 2020. They put up a 40 ft falling derrick tower which supported a tri-band yagi antenna for 20m, 15m, and 10m as well as wire antennas for 40m and 80m.
Our Tower Going Up at Winter Field Day
Check out the video above – it shows our 40 ft falling derrick tower going up at Winter Field Day 2020.
40 ft Falling Derrick Tower
As a result of Craig and Team’s work, we had an excellent antenna system that covered all of the HF bands from 80m through 10m. It really makes a big difference to have directional antennas on 20m – 10m and having our 80m and 40m antennas up nearly 40 ft improve their performance considerably as well.
Building and erecting an antenna system of this type takes considerable engineering knowledge, teamwork, and a very intense focus on safety. Our readers should not attempt this without the proper skills and training and we do not recommend trying to duplicate any of our antenna systems including our falling derrick tower and masts.
Wire Antennas and VHF+ Antennas
160m Transmit Antenna
160m Receive RBOG Installation
Jamey, AC1DC, and Team did a tremendous job with our wire antennas and our VHF+ antennas on our masts. The first to go up was our 160m antenna system. The 160m Transmit antenna is supported by a 50 ft guyed mast. As a result, it is probably the most challenging antenna that we put up during Winter Field Day. Jamey and his team got it up and it produced over 80 KHz of usable bandwidth on 160m.
The team also put up our 160m RBOG receive antenna. The sun had gone down by the time we got to this antenna so we used a generator and our Inter-plexor Beacon Lamp to light the field during the installation.
The combination of these antennas produced an amazing 244 contacts on Top Band!
Jon AC1EV and Fred AB!OC Putting Up A 40m Delta Loop
Jon AC1EV, Andrea KC1JDX and I put up a 40m Delta Loop Antenna. This antenna is a quiet receive antenna and it works on the 40m, 20m (will a tuner), and 15m bands. As a result of this additional antenna, we were able to have two Transceivers on 40m, 20m, or 15m at the same time.
6m Yagi Going On Its Mast
Next up was our 6m antenna which features a 3 element yagi on a 30 ft push-up mast. The team made short work of this antenna. We had a great run on 6m during Winter Field Day. As a result of some more focus on this band, we made a total of 22 contacts on the Magic Band.
VHF+ Mast – 220 Mhz, 902 MHz, and 1.2 GHz
The final project of the team was our second VHF+ mast. This one featured yagis for the 1.25m, 33cm, and 23 cm bands. Thanks to the pre-test of this part of our station, it went up very smoothly at Winter Field Day 2020.
We fed all of our VHF+ antennas with LMR-600 coax which NARS recently added to our kit. As a result, we were able to get most of the 50w – 100w transmit power that our radio generated to the antennas even though some were over 100 ft away.
Winter Field Day’s Awesome Antenna Farm
Completed Antenna Farm
As a result of all of the hard work of the Tower, Wire, and Mast teams, we had a truly awesome antenna farm for Winter Field Day 2020. Here’s a list of just some of the highlights of the results of everyone’s hard work:
We had a rotatable directional antenna for 20m – 10m at 40 ft
We had top-performing wire antennas for 80m and 40m
We had an amazing portable 160m antenna system that continues to produce a tremendous number of Top Band QSOs with just 100w
We had a second 40m antenna, a Delta Loop, which enabled us to have multiple transmitters on 40m, 20m, or 15m at the same time
We had directional antennas for all of the VHF+ bands from 6m – 23cm (1.2 GHz). This included some non-so-often used bands such as 1.25m (220 MHz), 33cm (902 MHz), and 23cm (1.2 GHz).
Our 2m/70cm antenna system featured computer-controlled rotators and switchable circular polarity making it a breeze to make our satellite contact.
Jamey, AC1DC’s Tour Of Our WFD Antenna Farm
You can click on Jamey, AC1DC’s video above to take a tour of our Winter Field Day 2020 antenna farm.
Stations and Supporting Infrastructure
Filters Antenna Switching and Network
It takes some significant infrastructure to support a multi-transmitter station of the type that we put together for Winter Field Day 2020.
We brought our Networking Pod which allowed us to connect all of our station computers together using a local ethernet network.
We also used a combination of tri-plexors and band-pass filters to connect our HF transmit antennas to our radios. As a result, multiple transmitters were able to simultaneously use our Tri-Band Yagi and our 40m Delta Loop. In addition, the band-pass filters kept inter-station interference to a minimum.
We had a total of 5 stations simultaneously on the air. This gave our team lots of opportunities to operate. The photo gallery above shows some of our stations. Each station had a dedicated computer with a second monitor running the N1MM+ logger. Our network allowed the station to create a common log which allowed onlookers to see our combined contact totals in real-time.
Jon, AC1EV and I put together our 5 stations and connected them to the network and filter system. This part of our Winter Feild Day 2020 station building project including taking the time to ensure that all of the software which supports functions such as logging, digital operations, CW operations, and our satellite station was working properly. As a result of all of our efforts on station testing before the event, these steps went relatively smoothly.
Our VHF+ stations (which also had HF capability) featured satellite support and provided 50w – 100w on all of the bands from 6m through 23cm. We made good use of transverters to get onto some new bands including 1.25m and 33cm. As a result, we were able to capture many more band-multipliers as compared to last year.
Winter Field Day 2020 Operations
WFD Operations In Full Swing
Winter Field Day 2020 operations began at 2 pm on Saturday. The start of operations is always an exciting time. This is a time when we can really determine how well our plans and station building efforts will actually perform.
As a result of everyone’s hard work to prepare and set up our station, we found that our 5O station worked very, very well.
The gallery above shows some of the many folks who operated during Winter Field Day 2020. All of these folks, as well as many others, contributed greatly to what became a record score of us (more on that later).
Our top operators included:
Operator
Call Sign
QSOs
% of Total QSOs
Dave Pascoe
KM3T
246
22%
Marty Sullaway
NN1C
223
20%
Abby Finchum
AB1BY
167
15%
Bill Noyce
AB1AV
139
12%
Dennis Marandos
K1LGQ
90
8%
Fred Kemmerer
AB1OC
76
7%
Keith Sangillo
KC1IMK
71
6%
Other Operators Combined
---
121
10%
A special thanks to Dave, KM3T and Marty, NN1C who helped us so much with our operation.
Winter Field Day Young Operators
Abby AB1BY Working SSB on HF
Winter Field Day 2020 was the first event that is eligible for our Student-Teacher Contest Series. Several of our young members came out to operate in Winter Field Day and to begin working on their entries in the series.
Keith KC1IMK Operating HF
Our young members, as well as other their young people, helped to make our Winter Field Day operation memorable and they contributed greatly to our score.
Victoria, K1VAT, and Her Dad Ted, W1TED Operating Together
It’s always great to see our young members operate with parents and friends during an activity like Winter Field Day. This makes for some great fun and creates a learning experience for everyone involved.
How Did We Do?
We posted a record score this year which was more than double that of 2019 Winter Field Day. Here’s a summary of our operating results:
We had a 5 transmitter Outdoor station (5O) for WFD 2020, adding an additional transmitter over WFD 2019
We made a total of 1,133 unique (non-duplicate) contacts during the 24-hour operating period
We worked 46 of the 50 US States
We worked all but 8 ARRL sections in the US and Canada
We had an amazing 612 CW, 486 Phone, and 35 Digital Contacts!
We added a number of bands to our station which enabled us to turn in a solid performance with 35 band-mode multipliers
Our 160m portable antenna system worked great again this year! We made 244 contacts on 160m using just 100W!
Our final claimed score (after removing duplicates) was:
Total QSO Points – 1,780
Power Multiplier (100W or less) – 2
Band-Mode Multipliers- 35
Score from QSOs – 124,600
Outdoor Bonus – 1,500
No Commercial Power Bonus – 1,500
Not At Home Location Bonus – 1,500
Satellite Contact Bonus – 1,500
Final Claimed Score – 130,600
Here’s a breakdown of our contacts by Band and Mode:
Band
Phone
CW
Digital
Total
% of Total QSOs
160m
2
242
244
21.5%
80m
19
118
7
144
12.7%
40m
226
108
6
340
30%
20m
192
128
9
329
29%
15m
3
1
1
5
<1%
10m
3
1
1
5
<1%
6m
18
3
1
22
1.9%
2m
10
3
2
15
1.3%
1.25m
3
2
2
7
<1%
70cm
3
2
2
7
<1%
33cm
3
2
2
7
<1%
23cm
3
2
2
7
<1%
Satellite
1
1
<1%
Totals
486
612
35
1,133
100%
You can read more about our 2020 Winter Field Day operation on our Blog:
Victoria, K1VAT And Her Dad Ted, W1TED Operating During WFD
Victoria, K1VAT And Her Dad Ted, W1TED Operating During WFD
WFD Operations Ended at 2 pm on Sunday
WFD Operations Ended at 2 pm on Sunday
HF Station
HF Station
HF Station #2
HF Station #2
VHF+ Station #1 - Satelites 6m, 2m, 70cm, and 23cm
VHF+ Station #1 - Satelites 6m, 2m, 70cm, and 23cm
VHF+ Station #2 - Elecraft KX3 and Transverters
VHF+ Station #2 - Elecraft KX3 and Transverters
VHF+ Station #2 - Elecraft KX3 and Transverters #2
VHF+ Station #2 - Elecraft KX3 and Transverters #2
Filters Antenna Switching and Network
Filters Antenna Switching and Network
Filters and Antenna Switching
Filters and Antenna Switching
2020 WFD Antenna Farm
2020 WFD Antenna Farmm
WFD Antenna Farm #2
WFD Antenna Farm #2
160m Transmit Antenna
160m Transmit Antenna
160m Receive RBOG Installation
160m Receive RBOG Installation
Jon AC1EV and Fred AB!OC Putting Up The 40m Delta Loop
Jon AC1EV and Fred AB!OC Putting Up The 40m Delta Loop
6m Yagi Going On Its Mast
6m Yagi Going On Its Mast
6m Yagi On VHF+ Mast #1
6m Yagi On VHF+ Mast #1
Falling Derrick Tower Ready To Go Up
Falling Derrick Tower Ready To Go Up
Falling Derrick Tower Going Up
Falling Derrick Tower Going Up
40 ft Falling Derrick Tower at Witer Field Day 2020
40 ft Falling Derrick Tower at Witer Field Day 2020
VHF+ Mast - 220 Mhz, 902 MHz, and 1.2 GHz
VHF+ Mast - 220 Mhz, 902 MHz, and 1.2 GHz
2m and 70cm Satellite and Weak Signal Antennas
2m and 70cm Satellite and Weak Signal Antennas
NARS Power and Light
NARS Power and Light
And In The End
And In The End
Additional Field Day highlights and memories can be found in the picture gallery above.
And In The End…
Our Winter Field Day Site On Monday after WFD
As we always do, we took our Winter Field Day station and antennas down on Sunday at 2 pm after operations ended. The takedown is always a challenge because most of us are tired from a very busy and active weekend. Out Team did a great job with this important step and got all of our gear down and stored during the evening hours.
We had an amazing Winter Field Day this year! Everyone involved worked extremely hard to create our best performance yet, a great experience, and a tremendous learning experience for all involved. Thank you so much to everyone involved for making Winter Field Day 2020 a success!
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