#ground — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #ground, aggregated by home.social.
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When to plant seeds in Alaska’s cool soils to ensure the quickest germination https://www.allforgardening.com/1928564/when-to-plant-seeds-in-alaskas-cool-soils-to-ensure-the-quickest-germination/ #Alaska #background #Beans #beginning #bokeh #closeup #Concept #deposit #earth #ecology #element #Environmental #fresh #garden #GardeningAlaska #green #Ground #grow #growing #life #light #natural #one #PowerPlant #SaveEnergy #seeding #soil #space #spring #sprout #Step #sunshine #young
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When to plant seeds in Alaska’s cool soils to ensure the quickest germination https://www.allforgardening.com/1928564/when-to-plant-seeds-in-alaskas-cool-soils-to-ensure-the-quickest-germination/ #Alaska #background #Beans #beginning #bokeh #closeup #Concept #deposit #earth #ecology #element #Environmental #fresh #garden #GardeningAlaska #green #Ground #grow #growing #life #light #natural #one #PowerPlant #SaveEnergy #seeding #soil #space #spring #sprout #Step #sunshine #young
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Best tools for gardening or gifting, say Washington pros https://www.allforgardening.com/1926230/best-tools-for-gardening-or-gifting-say-washington-pros/ #backyard #banner #botanical #caucasian #closeup #dig #farming #GardenTool #gardener #GardeningWashington #green #Ground #header #Hobby #MenAtWork #nobody #outdoor #panorama #soil #spring #Tool #washington #WPResize #yard
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Best tools for gardening or gifting, say Washington pros https://www.allforgardening.com/1926230/best-tools-for-gardening-or-gifting-say-washington-pros/ #backyard #banner #botanical #caucasian #closeup #dig #farming #GardenTool #gardener #GardeningWashington #green #Ground #header #Hobby #MenAtWork #nobody #outdoor #panorama #soil #spring #Tool #washington #WPResize #yard
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https://www.alojapan.com/1522100/%e8%bb%8d%e5%b9%95%e3%81%a7%e3%82%bd%e3%83%ad%e3%82%ad%e3%83%a3%e3%83%b3%e3%83%97%ef%bd%9c%e9%ab%98%e5%8e%9f%e3%81%ae%e6%b8%93%e6%b5%81%e3%81%a7%e9%87%a3%e3%82%8a%e3%82%92%e6%a5%bd%e3%81%97%e3%81%bf/ 軍幕でソロキャンプ｜高原の渓流で釣りを楽しみ、釣れた魚はおいしく串焼きに｜晩飯は豪快にステーキ｜白樺高原キャンプ場 #B6君 #bonfire #bushcraft #camp #Ground #Hamamatsu #HamamatsuDestinations #HamamatsuTour #HamamatsuTravel #HamamatsuTrip #HamamatsuVacation #military #nature #siruko #solo #Survival #wild #キャンプ #サバイバル #シルコ #シルコcamp #ソロキャンプ #ブッシュクラフト #ポーランド軍 #ポーランド軍幕 #ルーマニア軍 #ルーマニア軍幕 #地べた #地べたスタイル #浜松 #渓流 #渓流釣り #焚き火台 #無骨 #直火 #笑's #自然 #軍幕 軍幕でソロキャンプ｜高原の渓流で釣りを楽しみ、釣れた魚はおいしく串焼きに｜晩飯は豪快にステーキ｜白樺高原キャンプ場 次回の動画もお楽し
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https://www.evshift.com/506219/creta-ev-vs-curvv-ev-ground-clearance-test/ CRETA EV VS CURVV EV GROUND CLEARANCE TEST #Clearance #CRETA #CURVV #ElectricCars #ElectricVehicles #electricvehicletalks #EV #EVTalks #evtalksexclusive #ground #Test
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The Grid That Doubles the Strength of the Ground
https://practical.engineering/blog/2026/8/4/the-grid-that-doubles-the-strength-of-the-ground
Comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49178476
#HackerNews #grid #technology #ground #strength #engineering #innovation #infrastructure
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The Grid That Doubles the Strength of the Ground
https://practical.engineering/blog/2026/8/4/the-grid-that-doubles-the-strength-of-the-ground
Comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49178476
#HackerNews #grid #technology #ground #strength #engineering #innovation #infrastructure
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Artificial intelligence (AI) has changed the appearance of the FIFA World Cup. AI helped make offsid.. https://www.rawchili.com/5067618/ #104Games #64Games #ArtificialIntelligence #FederationInternationaleDeFootballAssociation #fifa #FIFAWorldCup2026 #ground #HighResolution #offside #Refree #SAOT #technology #VideoReading #WorldCup #WorldCup2026 #YonhapNews
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CVE Alert: CVE-2026-53983 - Efstratios Goudelis - Ground Station - https://www.redpacketsecurity.com/cve-alert-cve-2026-53983-efstratios-goudelis-ground-station/
#OSINT #ThreatIntel #CyberSecurity #cve-2026-53983 #efstratios-goudelis #ground-station
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CVE Alert: CVE-2026-53983 - Efstratios Goudelis - Ground Station - https://www.redpacketsecurity.com/cve-alert-cve-2026-53983-efstratios-goudelis-ground-station/
#OSINT #ThreatIntel #CyberSecurity #cve-2026-53983 #efstratios-goudelis #ground-station
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Proprietary turmeric extract improves orientation and attention scores in 24-week cognitive trial https://www.diningandcooking.com/2757533/proprietary-turmeric-extract-improves-orientation-and-attention-scores-in-24-week-cognitive-trial/ #aroma #aromatic #background #closeup #color #curcuma #curcumin #edible #Exotic #flavor #fresh #golden #ground #haldi #health #Healthy #herbal #Indian #isolated #natural #nutrition #objects #Orange #oriental #pile #powder #Raw #tumeric #white #Wooden
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Proprietary turmeric extract improves orientation and attention scores in 24-week cognitive trial https://www.diningandcooking.com/2757533/proprietary-turmeric-extract-improves-orientation-and-attention-scores-in-24-week-cognitive-trial/ #aroma #aromatic #background #closeup #color #curcuma #curcumin #edible #Exotic #flavor #fresh #golden #ground #haldi #health #Healthy #herbal #Indian #isolated #natural #nutrition #objects #Orange #oriental #pile #powder #Raw #tumeric #white #Wooden
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TechTip #3 Radials and counterpoises
TechTips on Ham Radio Outside Outside the Box are occasional short posts on specific technical topics. But beware, along with regular posts here on this blog, the content is not a definitive technical treatise and should not be read as such. I write about my own opinions and experiences; your opinions and experiences may be quite different. I welcome constructive feedback either in the comments or, if you prefer, by direct email.
“All lies and jest …
Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest”. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel sang those words in their song “The Boxer”. The words reflect how hams often react when our long-held, cherished beliefs are challenged. “My antenna just works, I don’t care about all that technical stuff” is a view I have heard – especially when the antenna cost hundreds of dollars. And nothing creates more exothermic debate than the subject of radials. Or is that counterpoises?
Definitive definitions
On Ham Radio Outside the Box, when the word “counterpoise” is used, it refers to the “other half of an antenna”. The “other half” could be 120 buried radials, or it could be a “magic carpet” (Faraday cloth). It could be a ground rod driven vertically into the ground. It could even be the ubiquitous (and apparently blessed by angels) 17 feet of wire laid on the ground. That magic length of 17 feet has been proved by thousands of QSOs so why care about all that technical stuff? Eh?
When you read the word “radial” here on Ham Radio Outside the Box it refers to a length of wire. A counterpoise may comprise one or one hundred and twenty radials. Radials could be buried in a shallow grave inches below the surface or they might be raised above ground. Buried radials – or even radial wires laid on the ground – are detuned by the ground and can be any length. Longer radials work better on the lower bands.
“Crickets are singin’ and lightning bugs are floatin on the breeze”
It’s been a while since I went “Fishing in the Dark” (for contacts on the radio) but I do spend a lot more of my on-air time out in the Big Blue Sky Shack, usually on a sunny afternoon – even if it’s only out in the backyard. If we venture out to a park to spend a couple of hours playing radio, we really aren’t going to waste that time laying out 120 radials. If an antenna needs ground radials I lay out between 4 and 8 of them. I know my antenna’s efficiency will be compromised, and I acknowledge the physics, but field expediency is the prime directive. Heck, I usually operate QRP in the field too; maybe I should try “QLF” (sending CW with my left foot) too. Some of my code buddies claim I’ve already mastered QLF!
Floatin’ on the breeze
Compromising efficiency is not mandatory. If we raise the antenna (a vertical whip) above ground. Now just a couple of tuned radials is as efficient as a rat’s nest of wires on the ground. A couple of radials? Why not just one radial? I was asked that question recently by a Ham Radio Outside the Box reader. I had to put on my physics graduate gown and mortarboard while I thought about that.
I started with the idea of a vertical dipole – that’s a quarter wave of wire on top of another quarter wave of wire with the feedpoint in the middle. Now let’s bend that dipole a little. Now it looks like a vertical radiator with a quarter wave high flying counterpoise. If we keep that configuration well above ground it should still be as efficient as a dipole.
I got wires in low places
How low can we go? My theory (which is open to debate) is based on interaction between that raised radial and the ground. The current in the radial wire induces an out of phase image in the ground. In the near field the image wave and the wave in the radial wire tend to partially or fully cancel each other.
The amplitude of the image wave in the ground varies based on two things. (1) the amplitude of the current in the radial, and (2) how close the radial is positioned with respect to ground. A high radial has almost no interaction with the ground, whereas a low radial will have a much greater interaction.
Now, let’s consider this: we can reduce the amplitude of the current wave in the counterpoise if the current is shared between more than one radial. Two radials each carry half the current; four radials each carry a quarter of the current. The lower the current, the lower the canceling effect of the image in the ground.
So we can conclude that it is fine and dandy to use low radials if there are a lot of them. On the other hand, a single radial should be kept well clear of the ground. Does that make sense, or didn’t I wake enough brain cells with my morning espresso today?
But wait, there’s more …
If the objective is to reduce the interaction with the ground, and the amplitude of the current wave in the radial wire(s) is a factor, there is another way – reduce transmitter power. See, QRP ain’t so bad after all!
Incidentally, the image wave in the ground travels more slowly than the current wave in the radial. If the length of the radial wire is one full wavelength, or more, the two waves eventually are in phase and the current is reinforced instead of being canceled. That is how Grasswire antennas work.
Murphy’s opinion
Electrically, a single raised radial will be efficient, subject to the conditions discussed. According to Murphy’s Law, if you use a single raised radial, you better anchor that antenna down good or the tension in that radial wire is gonna pull your antenna over. Murphy says two radials, 180 degrees apart, will keep it up.
#Antennas #Counterpoise #CW #Ground #OutdoorOps -
TechTip #3 Radials and counterpoises
TechTips on Ham Radio Outside Outside the Box are occasional short posts on specific technical topics. But beware, along with regular posts here on this blog, the content is not a definitive technical treatise and should not be read as such. I write about my own opinions and experiences; your opinions and experiences may be quite different. I welcome constructive feedback either in the comments or, if you prefer, by direct email.
“All lies and jest …
Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest”. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel sang those words in their song “The Boxer”. The words reflect how hams often react when our long-held, cherished beliefs are challenged. “My antenna just works, I don’t care about all that technical stuff” is a view I have heard – especially when the antenna cost hundreds of dollars. And nothing creates more exothermic debate than the subject of radials. Or is that counterpoises?
Definitive definitions
On Ham Radio Outside the Box, when the word “counterpoise” is used, it refers to the “other half of an antenna”. The “other half” could be 120 buried radials, or it could be a “magic carpet” (Faraday cloth). It could be a ground rod driven vertically into the ground. It could even be the ubiquitous (and apparently blessed by angels) 17 feet of wire laid on the ground. That magic length of 17 feet has been proved by thousands of QSOs so why care about all that technical stuff? Eh?
When you read the word “radial” here on Ham Radio Outside the Box it refers to a length of wire. A counterpoise may comprise one or one hundred and twenty radials. Radials could be buried in a shallow grave inches below the surface or they might be raised above ground. Buried radials – or even radial wires laid on the ground – are detuned by the ground and can be any length. Longer radials work better on the lower bands.
“Crickets are singin’ and lightning bugs are floatin on the breeze”
It’s been a while since I went “Fishing in the Dark” (for contacts on the radio) but I do spend a lot more of my on-air time out in the Big Blue Sky Shack, usually on a sunny afternoon – even if it’s only out in the backyard. If we venture out to a park to spend a couple of hours playing radio, we really aren’t going to waste that time laying out 120 radials. If an antenna needs ground radials I lay out between 4 and 8 of them. I know my antenna’s efficiency will be compromised, and I acknowledge the physics, but field expediency is the prime directive. Heck, I usually operate QRP in the field too; maybe I should try “QLF” (sending CW with my left foot) too. Some of my code buddies claim I’ve already mastered QLF!
Floatin’ on the breeze
Compromising efficiency is not mandatory. If we raise the antenna (a vertical whip) above ground. Now just a couple of tuned radials is as efficient as a rat’s nest of wires on the ground. A couple of radials? Why not just one radial? I was asked that question recently by a Ham Radio Outside the Box reader. I had to put on my physics graduate gown and mortarboard while I thought about that.
I started with the idea of a vertical dipole – that’s a quarter wave of wire on top of another quarter wave of wire with the feedpoint in the middle. Now let’s bend that dipole a little. Now it looks like a vertical radiator with a quarter wave high flying counterpoise. If we keep that configuration well above ground it should still be as efficient as a dipole.
I got wires in low places
How low can we go? My theory (which is open to debate) is based on interaction between that raised radial and the ground. The current in the radial wire induces an out of phase image in the ground. In the near field the image wave and the wave in the radial wire tend to partially or fully cancel each other.
The amplitude of the image wave in the ground varies based on two things. (1) the amplitude of the current in the radial, and (2) how close the radial is positioned with respect to ground. A high radial has almost no interaction with the ground, whereas a low radial will have a much greater interaction.
Now, let’s consider this: we can reduce the amplitude of the current wave in the counterpoise if the current is shared between more than one radial. Two radials each carry half the current; four radials each carry a quarter of the current. The lower the current, the lower the canceling effect of the image in the ground.
So we can conclude that it is fine and dandy to use low radials if there are a lot of them. On the other hand, a single radial should be kept well clear of the ground. Does that make sense, or didn’t I wake enough brain cells with my morning espresso today?
But wait, there’s more …
If the objective is to reduce the interaction with the ground, and the amplitude of the current wave in the radial wire(s) is a factor, there is another way – reduce transmitter power. See, QRP ain’t so bad after all!
Incidentally, the image wave in the ground travels more slowly than the current wave in the radial. If the length of the radial wire is one full wavelength, or more, the two waves eventually are in phase and the current is reinforced instead of being canceled. That is how Grasswire antennas work.
Murphy’s opinion
Electrically, a single raised radial will be efficient, subject to the conditions discussed. According to Murphy’s Law, if you use a single raised radial, you better anchor that antenna down good or the tension in that radial wire is gonna pull your antenna over. Murphy says two radials, 180 degrees apart, will keep it up.
#Antennas #Counterpoise #CW #Ground #OutdoorOps -
A 5-Band, Lazy-L, Linear-Loaded, Ladder Line Antenna (aka the “5B6L”)
About a year ago I mentioned an antenna devised by Peter Waters G3OJV that used a 13 feet (4 m) vertical wire to create a multiband antenna. I used Peter’s idea to create “A Simple, Low Profile, Multiband Antenna for POTA“. The antenna was designed to work on 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m with the aid of a tuner. But, I discovered a small problem on the 17m band. If we do the elementary calculation for the length of a quarter-wave radiator at the bottom end of the band (18.068 MHz) we find that it works out to be 12.95 ft – just a whisker short of the 13 ft recommended by G3OJV. So why is that a problem?
The problem arises because the antenna uses a 4:1 unun at the feedpoint. Since the 13 ft length is already almost resonant on 17 meters, the 4:1 unun makes the job of the tuner much harder. That did indeed prove to be the case when I tested my derivative in the field. So, I made a small change when designing the new 5B6L antenna – I increased the length to 14 feet (4.2672 meters) – well … not quite true, but that is the underlying principal behind the linear-loaded equivalent.
Here are the calculated lengths of a quarter-wave radiator at the mid-point of each of the five bands of interest:
20m: 16.6 feet17m: 12.92 feet15m: 11 feet12m: 9.39 feet10m: 8.11 feetA 14ft radiator slips nicely in between the 20m and 17m quarter wavelengths and becomes a “random length” on all 5 bands. Nice. But this is a linear-loaded antenna made from ladder line. Linear-loading shortens the required length by around 30%. Fourteen feet, shortened by 30% works out to 9.8 feet (~3 meters). After field adjustments I settled on a length of 9.75 ft (a little less than 3 meters).
Lose the radials!
I wanted this antenna to be what could be loosely described as a random length dipole – two equal lengths of ladder line (each shorted at one end) so that was how it was constructed. Now we have the benefit of versatility. It could be erected as a traditional dipole although with two very short arms it would be tricky to get it up in the air. It could also be erected as a vertical dipole on a support pole about 7 meters (23 feet) tall like my Spiderbeam. But that would make it difficult to orient the coax feedline so that it comes away from the antenna at 90 degrees, as is required to prevent the feedline picking up some of the radiated signal. Perhaps a sloper would work; now that is a very viable solution.
How ‘Bout a Lazy-L?
One of the YouTube channels I follow is “Jim’s Cool Stuff“. In one of his videos Jim suggested using a “Lazy-L” orientation of a vertical simple wire radiator and single raised radial wire. Why? The purpose is to increase the take-off angle. A vertical antenna usually has a very low take-off angle which is great for chasing DX, but what about shorter-range contacts? From my location in Southern Ontario, Canada it is only a short hop down to the north-eastern states in the USA. The US northeast has a very large concentration of amateur radio operators many of which participate in popular activities like POTA. A vertical antenna is likely to send my signal whistling over their heads, or at the very least, be received at a reduced level.
A Lazy-L configuration optimizes radiation to favor short to mid-range contacts by raising the take-off angle to achieve much shorter hops. Does it work? Yes indeed, during test operations I have been able to make contacts, just over the shallow puddle they call Lake Erie, into Pennsylvania, and across Lake Ontario into the state of New York, with quite respectable signal reports for my QRP CW signal.
The 5B6L antenna erected for test transmissionsBut what about DX?
Stations on the west coast of the US or western Canada could be considered almost DX – each is thousands of kilometers away. No problem! I said this antenna has versatility. The Lazy-L configuration can be re-oriented to a straightforward regular vertical with a raised counterpoise very easily. In fact the angle at which the radiating element leans can be adjusted to find an optimum at which near-DX and short hop stations all fall within its radiation pattern.
How to Build a 5B6L
The following describes construction of a 5-Band, Linear-Loaded, Ladder Line antenna that can be operated on 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m with the use of a tuner. Materials needed are:
- Ladder Line. I recommend stranded conductors because this makes the ladder line more flexible than solid copper conductors. Use of the 5B6L as a field portable antenna may stress solid conductors and lead to failures.
- a 4:1 unun. This item can be purchased or you can build your own using twin lead speaker wire (or similar) wound around a type-43 ferrite toroid
Instructions
- Cut two lengths of ladder line each 10 feet (3 meters) long. These may need to be trimmed during testing.
- Connect the two conductors of each piece of ladder line together at one end only.
- At the other end of each piece of ladder line, cut off the end of one of the conductors.
- Strip the insulation from the other conductor – this will be connected to the 4:1 unun.
- Connect each piece of ladder line to the unun.
Erection of the antenna
Attach a coax feedline to the 4:1 unun. A tuner may be inserted at this end if desired. For practical purposes, unless a very long coax is used, the SWR losses in the coax will not be significant so a tuner at the radio end can be used.
Set up your choice of pole, or other support, attach one end of the antenna to the top of the pole. The other end of the sloping radiating element (the feedpoint) should be supported on a short stick.
The other half of the antenna serves as a raised counterpoise and its far end can be supported by, for example, a trekking pole.
The slope angle can be adjusted by simply moving the counterpoise support sticks. See what works best for you. The whole antenna can be quite stealthy. I erected mine on only a 10 feet high pole. Efficiency may be improved by using a taller support but I prefer stealth when operating in public spaces. Tall antennas arouse suspicion!
The end is nigh!
A generous friend donated a lot of ladder line some time ago and I have used all but a few feet of it. Maybe it’s time to experiment with something different. So my next project – take a deep breath – is something I have been writing about in unflattering terms recently – a short, base loaded whip! What? Have I been enjoying too much Scottish champagne? Well, I thought it would be an interesting challenge to see how efficient I could make a short-ish whip antenna with a base-loading coil. A prototype has been constructed and has made contacts in backyard tests (with my helping fingers tapping on the key ). When the design has been completed you will be able to read about here on Ham Radio Outside the Box. Stay tuned.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
#AmateurRadio #Antennas #Counterpoise #CW #Ground #OutdoorOps #Portable #POTA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
A 5-Band, Lazy-L, Linear-Loaded, Ladder Line Antenna (aka the “5B6L”)
About a year ago I mentioned an antenna devised by Peter Waters G3OJV that used a 13 feet (4 m) vertical wire to create a multiband antenna. I used Peter’s idea to create “A Simple, Low Profile, Multiband Antenna for POTA“. The antenna was designed to work on 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m with the aid of a tuner. But, I discovered a small problem on the 17m band. If we do the elementary calculation for the length of a quarter-wave radiator at the bottom end of the band (18.068 MHz) we find that it works out to be 12.95 ft – just a whisker short of the 13 ft recommended by G3OJV. So why is that a problem?
The problem arises because the antenna uses a 4:1 unun at the feedpoint. Since the 13 ft length is already almost resonant on 17 meters, the 4:1 unun makes the job of the tuner much harder. That did indeed prove to be the case when I tested my derivative in the field. So, I made a small change when designing the new 5B6L antenna – I increased the length to 14 feet (4.2672 meters) – well … not quite true, but that is the underlying principal behind the linear-loaded equivalent.
Here are the calculated lengths of a quarter-wave radiator at the mid-point of each of the five bands of interest:
20m: 16.6 feet17m: 12.92 feet15m: 11 feet12m: 9.39 feet10m: 8.11 feetA 14ft radiator slips nicely in between the 20m and 17m quarter wavelengths and becomes a “random length” on all 5 bands. Nice. But this is a linear-loaded antenna made from ladder line. Linear-loading shortens the required length by around 30%. Fourteen feet, shortened by 30% works out to 9.8 feet (~3 meters). After field adjustments I settled on a length of 9.75 ft (a little less than 3 meters).
Lose the radials!
I wanted this antenna to be what could be loosely described as a random length dipole – two equal lengths of ladder line (each shorted at one end) so that was how it was constructed. Now we have the benefit of versatility. It could be erected as a traditional dipole although with two very short arms it would be tricky to get it up in the air. It could also be erected as a vertical dipole on a support pole about 7 meters (23 feet) tall like my Spiderbeam. But that would make it difficult to orient the coax feedline so that it comes away from the antenna at 90 degrees, as is required to prevent the feedline picking up some of the radiated signal. Perhaps a sloper would work; now that is a very viable solution.
How ‘Bout a Lazy-L?
One of the YouTube channels I follow is “Jim’s Cool Stuff“. In one of his videos Jim suggested using a “Lazy-L” orientation of a vertical simple wire radiator and single raised radial wire. Why? The purpose is to increase the take-off angle. A vertical antenna usually has a very low take-off angle which is great for chasing DX, but what about shorter-range contacts? From my location in Southern Ontario, Canada it is only a short hop down to the north-eastern states in the USA. The US northeast has a very large concentration of amateur radio operators many of which participate in popular activities like POTA. A vertical antenna is likely to send my signal whistling over their heads, or at the very least, be received at a reduced level.
A Lazy-L configuration optimizes radiation to favor short to mid-range contacts by raising the take-off angle to achieve much shorter hops. Does it work? Yes indeed, during test operations I have been able to make contacts, just over the shallow puddle they call Lake Erie, into Pennsylvania, and across Lake Ontario into the state of New York, with quite respectable signal reports for my QRP CW signal.
The 5B6L antenna erected for test transmissionsBut what about DX?
Stations on the west coast of the US or western Canada could be considered almost DX – each is thousands of kilometers away. No problem! I said this antenna has versatility. The Lazy-L configuration can be re-oriented to a straightforward regular vertical with a raised counterpoise very easily. In fact the angle at which the radiating element leans can be adjusted to find an optimum at which near-DX and short hop stations all fall within its radiation pattern.
How to Build a 5B6L
The following describes construction of a 5-Band, Linear-Loaded, Ladder Line antenna that can be operated on 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m with the use of a tuner. Materials needed are:
- Ladder Line. I recommend stranded conductors because this makes the ladder line more flexible than solid copper conductors. Use of the 5B6L as a field portable antenna may stress solid conductors and lead to failures.
- a 4:1 unun. This item can be purchased or you can build your own using twin lead speaker wire (or similar) wound around a type-43 ferrite toroid
Instructions
- Cut two lengths of ladder line each 10 feet (3 meters) long. These may need to be trimmed during testing.
- Connect the two conductors of each piece of ladder line together at one end only.
- At the other end of each piece of ladder line, cut off the end of one of the conductors.
- Strip the insulation from the other conductor – this will be connected to the 4:1 unun.
- Connect each piece of ladder line to the unun.
Erection of the antenna
Attach a coax feedline to the 4:1 unun. A tuner may be inserted at this end if desired. For practical purposes, unless a very long coax is used, the SWR losses in the coax will not be significant so a tuner at the radio end can be used.
Set up your choice of pole, or other support, attach one end of the antenna to the top of the pole. The other end of the sloping radiating element (the feedpoint) should be supported on a short stick.
The other half of the antenna serves as a raised counterpoise and its far end can be supported by, for example, a trekking pole.
The slope angle can be adjusted by simply moving the counterpoise support sticks. See what works best for you. The whole antenna can be quite stealthy. I erected mine on only a 10 feet high pole. Efficiency may be improved by using a taller support but I prefer stealth when operating in public spaces. Tall antennas arouse suspicion!
The end is nigh!
A generous friend donated a lot of ladder line some time ago and I have used all but a few feet of it. Maybe it’s time to experiment with something different. So my next project – take a deep breath – is something I have been writing about in unflattering terms recently – a short, base loaded whip! What? Have I been enjoying too much Scottish champagne? Well, I thought it would be an interesting challenge to see how efficient I could make a short-ish whip antenna with a base-loading coil. A prototype has been constructed and has made contacts in backyard tests (with my helping fingers tapping on the key ). When the design has been completed you will be able to read about here on Ham Radio Outside the Box. Stay tuned.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
#AmateurRadio #Antennas #Counterpoise #CW #Ground #OutdoorOps #Portable #POTA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
لاحظوا كيف #اقتلع #المسجد من مكانه بفعل قوة #الانفجار ... زاوية #جديدة توثق #لحظة #استهداف المسجد في #مدينة #غزة ، حيث اهتزت #الأرض من شدة #القصف ، ولم يبق من المسجد إلا #الركام ، بعدما اقتلع من أساساته بفعل الانفجار العنيف.
See how the #mosque was #uprooted by the #explosion force ... a new #angle documents the #moment of #targeting the mosque in #Gaza City, where the #ground shook from the #bombing , and only #rubble remained after the violent explosion.
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TechTip #2 (revised): GTU hand capacitance
NB: This is a revised version of TechTips #2 with the addition of further details on how the issue of hand capacitance has been resolved.
The problem: Hand capacitance makes it difficult to accurately adjust the GTU.
The fix: Upon examination of my own GTU it was discovered that the layout had become too complex and the plastic enclosure provided no shield against capacitance between my hand and the RF circuitry. The solution is actually very simple; either re-assemble the GTU inside a metal enclosure, or provide some means of shielding the circuitry from hand capacitance. Since I didn’t have a suitable metal enclosure I elected to do the latter. The entire plastic enclosure was covered with aluminum duct tape. As an additional precaution, the duct tape was electrically connected to the ground binding post to ensure it remains at ground potential.
Did it work? Yes, I am pleased to report that this fix has entirely eliminated the problem. Here is a photo of the shielded GTU (KQ4TQ single inductance version):
Shielded GTU – hand capacitance problem eliminated! NB: the top surface is covered with Gorilla tape to prevent distracting reflection of sunlight out in the field.The following is the pre-amble to the first version of TechTips #2 (now deleted to avoid confusion).
This is the second in an occasional series of short posts that zero in on details of a specific technical topic in relation to projects here on this blog, which some readers may find helpful.
A few weeks Ham Radio Outside the Box published a description of a “Mini Ground Tuning Unit (GTU)”. The schematic for that device is reproduced below. The design was then simplified with input from HROTB-Labs collaborator Tim KQ4TQ. Tim proposed a single inductance with a value of 3 microhenries (and generously donated a prototype he had built).
I built the revised GTU and performed many experiments in HROTB-Labs outdoor test facility (actually, my backyard). Various types of ground planes were tried, from G4AKC’s capacitance plate at the base of his pedestrian mobile radio trolley, to Faraday cloth (“magic carpet”), to ground radials.
My least favorite was the Faraday cloth. The one I used was about 1 square meter in area. I acknowledge the input of Paul VE3PVB who emphasized the need to maximize the area of the Faraday cloth to improve its efficiency. Two things about Faraday cloth are worth noting: first it has a shiny surface which can be distractingly reflective in bright sunshine. Second, it is often referred to as “magic carpet” – a very appropriate term since it has a tendency to fly in even a mild wind. Matt finish paint and a bag of rocks fixes both issues.
I settled on a set of 8 short radials (each 7 feet, or 2 meters long) and they work well. A single long radial wire might be more convenient for rapid deployment in the field. Along with the Ground Tuning Unit (GTU) and a resonant vertical radiating element, a very acceptable SWR is obtained without the use of a tuner.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
#AmateurRadio #Counterpoise #Ground #Portable
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
TechTip #2 (revised): GTU hand capacitance
NB: This is a revised version of TechTips #2 with the addition of further details on how the issue of hand capacitance has been resolved.
The problem: Hand capacitance makes it difficult to accurately adjust the GTU.
The fix: Upon examination of my own GTU it was discovered that the layout had become too complex and the plastic enclosure provided no shield against capacitance between my hand and the RF circuitry. The solution is actually very simple; either re-assemble the GTU inside a metal enclosure, or provide some means of shielding the circuitry from hand capacitance. Since I didn’t have a suitable metal enclosure I elected to do the latter. The entire plastic enclosure was covered with aluminum duct tape. As an additional precaution, the duct tape was electrically connected to the ground binding post to ensure it remains at ground potential.
Did it work? Yes, I am pleased to report that this fix has entirely eliminated the problem. Here is a photo of the shielded GTU (KQ4TQ single inductance version):
Shielded GTU – hand capacitance problem eliminated! NB: the top surface is covered with Gorilla tape to prevent distracting reflection of sunlight out in the field.The following is the pre-amble to the first version of TechTips #2 (now deleted to avoid confusion).
This is the second in an occasional series of short posts that zero in on details of a specific technical topic in relation to projects here on this blog, which some readers may find helpful.
A few weeks Ham Radio Outside the Box published a description of a “Mini Ground Tuning Unit (GTU)”. The schematic for that device is reproduced below. The design was then simplified with input from HROTB-Labs collaborator Tim KQ4TQ. Tim proposed a single inductance with a value of 3 microhenries (and generously donated a prototype he had built).
I built the revised GTU and performed many experiments in HROTB-Labs outdoor test facility (actually, my backyard). Various types of ground planes were tried, from G4AKC’s capacitance plate at the base of his pedestrian mobile radio trolley, to Faraday cloth (“magic carpet”), to ground radials.
My least favorite was the Faraday cloth. The one I used was about 1 square meter in area. I acknowledge the input of Paul VE3PVB who emphasized the need to maximize the area of the Faraday cloth to improve its efficiency. Two things about Faraday cloth are worth noting: first it has a shiny surface which can be distractingly reflective in bright sunshine. Second, it is often referred to as “magic carpet” – a very appropriate term since it has a tendency to fly in even a mild wind. Matt finish paint and a bag of rocks fixes both issues.
I settled on a set of 8 short radials (each 7 feet, or 2 meters long) and they work well. A single long radial wire might be more convenient for rapid deployment in the field. Along with the Ground Tuning Unit (GTU) and a resonant vertical radiating element, a very acceptable SWR is obtained without the use of a tuner.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
#AmateurRadio #Counterpoise #Ground #Portable
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
The real reason why every railroad in America has the same rocks lining the tracks
https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/trains-rocks-rail-tracks-explained-ex1/
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The real reason why every railroad in America has the same rocks lining the tracks
https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/trains-rocks-rail-tracks-explained-ex1/
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A short 2-band ladder line antenna for portable ops
Introducing the 2B2L antenna
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a short, fairly efficient, rapidly deployable, low visual impact, vertical antenna that can be operated on both the 20 meter and 40 meter bands? The 2B2L (2 Band Linear Loaded) antenna comes very close to a perfect match for those specifications.
The 2B2L is the brainchild of Tim KQ4TQ who pitched the idea to me in an email recently. Seeing the potential in Tim’s idea, I hastily built a prototype and erected it in my backyard for testing. The 2B2L is based on the “Simple Ladder Line Antenna for Portable Ops” discussed a couple of weeks ago here on Ham Radio Outside the Box. But here is the genius in the 2 band version: by adding a loading coil and a tail section – also made from ladder line – to the top of the original single band (20m) version, we can add the 40m band. The whole antenna towers up to the dizzying height of just 15 feet!
But, just a moment; before the grey-haired, white-coated men with a physics diploma hanging on the wall pick up their quill pens to denounce the 2B2L, a confession is in order. Yes, admittedly, the 2B2L is not perfect; field portable antennas rarely are perfect. Those of us who like to operate out in the Big Blue Sky Shack must necessarily accept some compromises. Those of us who like to operate QRP accept even more compromises. So where’s the gotcha?
The loading coil for the 40m extension is the weak link. It serves two purposes: (1) it acts as an RF choke for the lower 20m band section; it’s high impedance effectively terminates the lower section of the antenna so that the top section does not affect operation on 20 meters; (2) it acts as a loading coil for the 40 meter top section which is considerably shortened as a result. But is it actually all bad? Yes, it has some loss due to the i^2R effect, but consider this: the whole antenna is radiating on 40 meters and the coil is near the top where the current is lower. If I am thinking with half a brain here please correct me in the comments. I did once think I was wrong, but I was mistaken!
Can an antenna that is only 15 feet tall really be efficient on 20m and 40m? The secret to how it can claim enough efficiency to actually make contacts out in the field lies in its use of linear loaded elements. Two sections of ladder line, each shorted at the top, provide the linear loading which shortens the required length by about 30%. Linear loading is considered one of the most efficient ways of shortening an antenna.
2B2L coil and 40m extensionAlso, the 2B2L is mounted quite close to the ground which inevitably diverts some RF to warming the earthworms. Mine is fed about 12 inches (~30 cm) above ground. It could also be raised higher and used with tuned, raised radials, but on 40 meters the radials would each be around 33 feet long. I chose to use short ground radials instead.
Where to buy a 2B2L?
Sorry folks, this is another real hobbyist’s project – you gotta build it yourself. You’re going to need some ladder line from whatever source you go to for ham radio supplies. Mine was a generous gift from my friend and CW buddy Mary VE3MVM. You will also need a coil. I had an air core coil lying in the drawer from a previous project. I built it using a a short section of PVC tubing about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. You will need an inductance meter, or a NanoVNA, to measure the inductance. As a purely rough guide, my coil has 35 turns of 20 awg stranded insulated wire. Here is the materials list:
- 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) of ladder line for the 20 meter radiating element
- 38 inches (0.97 meters) of ladder line for the 40 meter extension
- 35 microhenry coil
Setting up the 2B2L antenna
The 2B2L can be erected on a pole about 16 feet (or about 5 meters) tall. It is fed at the bottom via coax to a transceiver. The 2B2L requires radials. I tried a set of 8 radials, each 7 feet (2 meters) long. That worked but 4 radials, each 13 feet long provided a better return path on 40 meters.
2B2L lower section showing GTU, Common Mode Current Choke and radialsIn keeping with recent practise here on Ham Radio Outside the Box, the radials are tuned with a GTU (Ground Tuning Unit). The GTU has to be separately adjusted for each of the two bands. This ensures that the antenna system is working as efficiently as possible – without a tuner! An antenna analyzer connected via a short coax showed an SWR well below 1.5 could be obtained on both bands.
Does it QSO?
No, it just sits there grinning at the sky, but I have QSO’d using the 2B2L. My best contact so far has been a 2000 kilometer QSO with a station in Colorado on 20 meters by QRP CW. 40 meters is most active in the early morning and in the evening when I am inactive, but I am going to have to make the effort to go 40 meter QSO hunting real soon. Stay tuned.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
#Antennas #CW #Ground #OutdoorOps #Portable
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
A short 2-band ladder line antenna for portable ops
Introducing the 2B2L antenna
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a short, fairly efficient, rapidly deployable, low visual impact, vertical antenna that can be operated on both the 20 meter and 40 meter bands? The 2B2L (2 Band Linear Loaded) antenna comes very close to a perfect match for those specifications.
The 2B2L is the brainchild of Tim KQ4TQ who pitched the idea to me in an email recently. Seeing the potential in Tim’s idea, I hastily built a prototype and erected it in my backyard for testing. The 2B2L is based on the “Simple Ladder Line Antenna for Portable Ops” discussed a couple of weeks ago here on Ham Radio Outside the Box. But here is the genius in the 2 band version: by adding a loading coil and a tail section – also made from ladder line – to the top of the original single band (20m) version, we can add the 40m band. The whole antenna towers up to the dizzying height of just 15 feet!
But, just a moment; before the grey-haired, white-coated men with a physics diploma hanging on the wall pick up their quill pens to denounce the 2B2L, a confession is in order. Yes, admittedly, the 2B2L is not perfect; field portable antennas rarely are perfect. Those of us who like to operate out in the Big Blue Sky Shack must necessarily accept some compromises. Those of us who like to operate QRP accept even more compromises. So where’s the gotcha?
The loading coil for the 40m extension is the weak link. It serves two purposes: (1) it acts as an RF choke for the lower 20m band section; it’s high impedance effectively terminates the lower section of the antenna so that the top section does not affect operation on 20 meters; (2) it acts as a loading coil for the 40 meter top section which is considerably shortened as a result. But is it actually all bad? Yes, it has some loss due to the i^2R effect, but consider this: the whole antenna is radiating on 40 meters and the coil is near the top where the current is lower. If I am thinking with half a brain here please correct me in the comments. I did once think I was wrong, but I was mistaken!
Can an antenna that is only 15 feet tall really be efficient on 20m and 40m? The secret to how it can claim enough efficiency to actually make contacts out in the field lies in its use of linear loaded elements. Two sections of ladder line, each shorted at the top, provide the linear loading which shortens the required length by about 30%. Linear loading is considered one of the most efficient ways of shortening an antenna.
2B2L coil and 40m extensionAlso, the 2B2L is mounted quite close to the ground which inevitably diverts some RF to warming the earthworms. Mine is fed about 12 inches (~30 cm) above ground. It could also be raised higher and used with tuned, raised radials, but on 40 meters the radials would each be around 33 feet long. I chose to use short ground radials instead.
Where to buy a 2B2L?
Sorry folks, this is another real hobbyist’s project – you gotta build it yourself. You’re going to need some ladder line from whatever source you go to for ham radio supplies. Mine was a generous gift from my friend and CW buddy Mary VE3MVM. You will also need a coil. I had an air core coil lying in the drawer from a previous project. I built it using a a short section of PVC tubing about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. You will need an inductance meter, or a NanoVNA, to measure the inductance. As a purely rough guide, my coil has 35 turns of 20 awg stranded insulated wire. Here is the materials list:
- 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) of ladder line for the 20 meter radiating element
- 38 inches (0.97 meters) of ladder line for the 40 meter extension
- 35 microhenry coil
Setting up the 2B2L antenna
The 2B2L can be erected on a pole about 16 feet (or about 5 meters) tall. It is fed at the bottom via coax to a transceiver. The 2B2L requires radials. I tried a set of 8 radials, each 7 feet (2 meters) long. That worked but 4 radials, each 13 feet long provided a better return path on 40 meters.
2B2L lower section showing GTU, Common Mode Current Choke and radialsIn keeping with recent practise here on Ham Radio Outside the Box, the radials are tuned with a GTU (Ground Tuning Unit). The GTU has to be separately adjusted for each of the two bands. This ensures that the antenna system is working as efficiently as possible – without a tuner! An antenna analyzer connected via a short coax showed an SWR well below 1.5 could be obtained on both bands.
Does it QSO?
No, it just sits there grinning at the sky, but I have QSO’d using the 2B2L. My best contact so far has been a 2000 kilometer QSO with a station in Colorado on 20 meters by QRP CW. 40 meters is most active in the early morning and in the evening when I am inactive, but I am going to have to make the effort to go 40 meter QSO hunting real soon. Stay tuned.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
#Antennas #CW #Ground #OutdoorOps #Portable
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
Never Grow Up’s The Monday Bar seeks to fill gaps in Indian functional bars https://www.diningandcooking.com/2661366/never-grow-ups-the-monday-bar-seeks-to-fill-gaps-in-indian-functional-bars/ #asgandh #Asian #bottom #branch #Chop #closeup #concept #fresh #Green #ground #growing #Healthcare #herbal #isolated #knife #lateral #leaves #natural #nutrition #outdoor #part #piece #remedy #Slice #smell #soil #solanaceae #spring #tools #wellness #WithaniaSomnifera
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Incident outside Boston’s TD Garden under investigation https://www.allforgardening.com/1793725/incident-outside-bostons-td-garden-under-investigation/ #BackWindow #boston #FriendStreet #garden #Ground #HotelIndigo #incident #Investigation #massachusetts #MoreInformation #SeveralCrimeSceneMarker #SeveralEvidenceMarker #sullivan #SUV #tap #TdGarden #wcvb
