K5NA Superstation

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K5NA Superstation!

July 2004

This weekend we added a new 20m 5el yagi fixed on Europe. This is now the third 20m yagi on the 20m tower -

Top antenna (rotatable) is at 188 ft.
Middle 5el yagi is at 128 ft. fixed NE
Newest 5el yagi is at 70 ft. fixed NE
Bottom yagi (not installed yet) will be around 35ft fixed SE on Carribbean.

Each of these is running through the WX0B Stackmaster.

Myself (KI5DR), Richard K5NA, Susan K5DU, Tom N5TW, and Larry K5OT came out early Monday morning the 5th to raise the antenna. We've been delayed these last several weeks due rain and wet, muddy fields.

How is it done?

We run up the tower someplace above where the antenna will be installed, and attach a Tram Line. We also bring a pulley and a thick climbing rope and attach it just below the tram line. Basically, the antenna is suspended from the tram line using a pulley, and we use the climbing rope to pull the antenna up along the tram line. The climbing rope runs up (parallel to the tram line) to a pulley, then down to the base of the tower to another pulley, then out to the hitch on the back of Richard's John Deere Tractor. The tractor does all the heavy lifting, and all we do is guide it into place. Once the antenna is close to the top of the tram line, we can loosen the tram line and bring the antenna into the tower, then attach it to the mounting brackets. Once the antenna is mounted we can remove the Tram line, Rope support and pulleys, attach the coax, and we're ready!

Here's a shot of Richard and the tractor, next to the antenna on the ground ready to be raised. Larry K5OT is standing next to the antenna.	Here's Tom N5TW climbing up the tower bringing the climbing rope with him. The destination is a side-mount bracket just above the second set of guy wires. Just above the 3rd set of Guys is a 10m yagi fixed on Japan.	Here's Larry K5OT - part of the ground crew.
Here's Tom N5TW after the work is completed.	Here's a shot of the tower and antenna mounted, and Richard in the foreground. Tom N5TW is coming down the tower.	Here's a side shot of the finished product - (3) 5el Cushcraft monobanders - cool!

October 2003

CQWW SSB is coming! This week, we added a new 5el Cushcraft 20m Monobander at 127 ft. on the 20m tower. There are two more monobanders remaining to be assembled and installed, then the 20m tower will be complete. Phil, NA4M took some photos and I'll try and post them if they are available.

So far here's the Station lineup:

10M - X9 tribander at 82 feet. 5 element yagi at 100 feet fixed on Europe. We may possibly add a 5el Yagi fixed on Japan.

15M - Four high stack of 5 element yagis at 170, 127, 84, and 41 feet using a StackMaster. Top and bottom are rotatable, two middle antennas are fixed NE.

20M - Two high stack of 5 element yagis at 187 and 127 feet using a StackMaster. (The X9 tribander will be available for 20M to use when 10M isn't using it.)

40M - Three high stack of 2 element 40M yagis at 197, 126, and 45 feet using a StackMaster. (A fourth 40M 2 element at 100 feet is available but is controlled by the X9 rotator.)

80M - Two 2 element phase array vertical systems, one for Europe and the other to Japan. A sloping dipole from 170 feet to the SW (LP antenna). Dipole at 60 feet broadside to Europe. Assorted beverages for receiving.

160M - Full-sized elevated wire ground-plane with base at 15 feet. Assorted beverages for receiving.

July 15th, 2002

Here are some photos I've taken (during the week before IARU), but just getting a chance to sit down and post them.

All of the photos are taken with a Kodak DX-3600 digital camera. Previously, the photos were in low-resolution mode, which fits nicely on the web. The following photos, however, are in High-resolution mode, and might take a while to download. Each photo is around 400KB in size.

15m tower from a distance, with the Heard Island tower behind it.	15m up closer	15m tower again up close.
40m yagi stack	40m stack again	40m stack from a distance
Closeup of the 80m ON4UN phased vertical array	Shot of the 80m array pointed Northeast	Shot of me hanging on below the low 15m Yagi.

More photos of the tower work - June 2, 2002

Main house and 15m tower	Picture of the towers	15m tower
15m tower again	15m tower closeup	Another 15m tower
15m tower from the 40m tower	picture of the 20m tower	Picture of the 40m top antenna
Why K5NA is loud on 160m - fullsize Quarter Wave Vertical	Another shot	Gratuitous shot looking down
Surrounding terrain	Nice sunset!

Today we installed a mounting bracket for the next 40m beam. The new beam and phasing will hopefully go up next week. We've tested the Stackmatch for the 15m so far and it's working great! One more 15m antenna to put up, and a couple more 40m and we're in business.

May 15th, 2002

Well, we're getting ready for W1AW/5 this July, so we've been working on the 15m tower, with the 40m tower work coming soon.

Here's some photos when I went up to attach side-mount brackets to the tower -

Side Mount Bracket

Richard's House

Another shot of Richard and Susan's place. This is the old farm house.

Nearest Neighbor

This is a shot of the 20m tower and the Lake from the 15m tower.

This is a shot of Richard peering up at me, wondering what the heck I'm doing! The antenna below me is a 5el 10m at 110ft. One of the 5el 15m antennas is going in at 128ft., and one at around 86ft. We have one at the top at 170' and we'll add one more low antenna on a swing mount at 40ft or so (I think).

Token Shot with the camera pointed down the tower...

We finished before sunset!