build an antenna

Today I assembled the jig that will be used to bend the helices of the antenna conductors. Having a jig for this simple operation is perhaps overkill, but I didn’t want to spoil my dad’s fun in making it.

I’ve made some progress in the construction of my antenna! I drilled four holes in the central support of the antenna this morning. It seems like a very small amount of work for a whole morning, but it was necessary to do it quite accurately.

Crickey! Two years! My current ‘temporary’ ground-plane antenna has been bent a bit by the wind, and should be brought down, so I’m getting my bits of quadrifilar helical antenna out to assemble them. I have most of the parts, all I need to do is assembly.

I remember now that I stopped last time because of an interpersonal matter I could not handle at the time. But time has marched on, and I’m in a much better mental condition now.

In the meantime I also got an idea for the connection of the feeder cable, which had not had a plan until now.

I’ll have to get into the roof space, so at the same time I can install lagging around the hot-water pipes.

Hey, I just discovered this goal is still on my list. I haven’t forgotten about it (the pieces are one of the things I have to tidy with my room), but it just isn’t really high priority. I’ll have to push it a bit.

Twelve metres of RG-58 coaxial cable to relay the VHF radio signals from my quadrifilar helix antenna to my receiver is now on hand.

This morning I got the missing piece of copper tubing I needed, and a BNC connector to put at the receiver end of the feed cable. I still don’t have the cable.

Today I’ve made some parts for the antenna. I must have been sold short on the copper tube, for there was not enough to make all the parts!

We made elbows that goes inside, instead of round the outside as the design suggests.

I could not find RG-58 coaxial cable today. The lady in the shop seemed to think they didn’t stock it, and I didn’t want to spend time convincing her that they do.

Today I got the plastic pipe I need for the weather-satellite antenna (thanks Dad!).

We’ve also thought of a replacement for the unobtainable elbows.

Must buy some RG-58 coax tomorrow.

Anti-procrastination timeline:
Tonight: Decide on length of cable needed
Tomorrow morning: Buy RG-58 cable
Tomorrow afternoon: Make erzats elbows; cut pieces; drill holes.
Sunday: Make printed circuit
Monday: Update timeline; listen; software

The elbows I need for joining the copper tubing in the antenna I want to build seems to be unobtainable. Plastic waste pipe of 32mm diameter also seems to be out of fashion around here.
A simple assembly project turns into a improvisation marathon (again.)

The copper elbows I got for my antenna is the wrong size. I’ll have to go back to the shop and get new ones.