New, new antenna

To get an aerial back up for 160/80mb, I have now installed an 18m Spiderbeam pole, with a 20m wire as an 80m 1/4 radiator wound around it (approx 5 turns per section) and another 20m wire with 3 x 15m drooping radials at the 15m mark to resonate it on 160m. Then I've started running out the first of 36 20m ground radials. The ones around the grass where the cabin sits are buried, the rest are running along the surface and held in place with aluminium pegs fashioned from old TV antennas. So far, 27 are in place with the remaining 9 set to be in place by the end of March. Then I'll add some 40m wires (8 or more) for 160mb. I'll experiment with switching/feeding arrangements so the two wires will live happily together.

Here's the design kindly made available by SM0MDG:

Disaster

Back in late September 2012, we had a 140kmh wind gust tear through Waianakarua... it took out numerous trees and the aerial mast. It crumpled in a heap! The scrap metal man will be the next owner when I've finished cutting it up. :^(

New antennas

Have been busy at the cabin, mostly repairing fences, rain-water system, decking, sticking doors etc etc.

Did have time to erect a 160mb inverted L and a 1/4 wave vertical for 80mb. A 40mb GP is nearing completion, using a manuka tree trunk as a mast. The antenna will be about 2m above ground and will have 4 elevated tuned radials.

Maybe a 30m antenna will go up in the near future.

Dunedin visitors

On October 15th and 16th, some DXers from Dunedin visited for a spot of DX.

Ian Wells and Phil Garden stayed the first night and were joined by Jon Woods and David Miller the second night.

Reception conditions were pretty average. So saying, the guys enjoyed the relatively quiet band conditions and heard quite a few US stations on MW.

Ian and Phil were roped in to helping put the North American beverage back up. The far end is now supported on 4m galv poles rather than bushes so hopefully it will be less prone to breaking.

6M antenna now up

Thanks to a helping hand from Ken McVie ZL4NR, there is now a 6M antenna at Waianakarua. It is the YU7EF 5 element antenna I built for use in Greta Street and unable to erect in Swift St (current home location) so using some old pipe, poly rope and muscle power, it now sits above the cabin.

AC Power

I purchased a good second-hand 3kVA Honda generator for the cabin. So for the first time in 28 years, the place was vacuumed out! Having AC power available will be handy but the noise from the gene will mean it won't be used when DXing.

I have also swapped one of the 160Ah batteries for 10 28Ah units which will be much more manageable.

North American antenna fixed...

Thanks to David Headland, the North American antenna is up again. Took a couple of hours in warm, blustery conditions. Was pleased to find that someone had killed all the gorse, blackberry, briar and other scratchy, itchy stuff along the banks of the river. Along with the broom and other woods, some of which once supported the antenna so next trip will add a couple of metal poles and stakes to the recipe.