This is a unique three legged bridge (Tridge) in downtown Midland. It stradles the confluence of the Chippewa and Titabawasse Rivers. This sight was once a rondezvous point for Native American tribes. Later Native Americans and Voyageurs met at this spot. Today this walking Tridge leads to parks and recreation areas.
Operating 8P6/ on a recent cruise. 8P6GK was just about to make a connection to echolink node # 205097 when my batteries died :-(
My 30 ft Field Day Portable tower in 2011 standing by the tower are three friends from the Midand ARC; KB8PGW, NX8A, WB8FYR.
3 ele 6 meter, and 2 ele mini beam 20, 15, 10
Hello,
My previous callsign, (since 1967) was WA8YXA. I've been an extra class since the 70's but never upgraded to a shorter callsign. A friend discovered this callsign was available and thought I should have it. I applied to the FCC and learned through the QMN (80m cw traffic net) on Monday 1/25/10 that my request was granted. After confirmation I started using it on January 26, 2010.
As of Sunday, January 24th my old call (WA8YXA) at QRZ.com was taken down. I have reset the Lat. Lon., red pin location and I am slowly re-building my QRZ.COM page.
I received a new Certificate from LoTW. I uploaded my first batch of QSO's using my new callsign this morning (January 27, 2010). eQSL is now working also. I upload about once per week.
I am using a 2 ele wire yagi up 70 feet on 80 and 40 meters. I built a 2 element Quad that I designed on EZNEC+ 5.0. It works exactly as the EZNEC model. I used 6 feet of 2.5" SCH-40 aluminum pipe and two 4'x2" pieces of aluminum tubing to make an 11' boom. The spreader hubs are left over from a commercial Quad I took down for someone 40 years ago. I still had them but the remainder aluminum was either broken or missing (probably built other antennas).
The spreaders are Max Gain fiberglass. The old spreader used plastic tubes that insulated the aluminum poles (which I don't have). I had some plastic (natural gas line, yellow) left over and used pieces of it to hold the Max Gain fiberglass poles. After tightening them into the hub I wrapped the yellow plastic with black electrical tape. The Max Gain fiberglass poles are two 8' telescoping sections, glued together with 3M 5200 adhesive to make about a 13' pole. One foot of the smaller pole was cut off and glued inside the end shown in the picture above. The wire loops for each Quad are held in place by hose clamps, copper tubing, and vinyl tubing, as recommended by Max Gain Systems. (See pictures below)
Slide the vinyl tubing through the copper. Pinch the copper tubing to hold vinyl in place.
I bought a piece of aluminum plate and 8' of 2.5" SCH 40 aluminum pipe to make to mast-to-boom plate and center section of the 11' boom.
Started diging the hole for the tower base in April.When I had dugabout five feet deep I hit water. The hole started to cave and it was becoming impossible for me to dig any deeper. My neighbor had a small digger with a very small shovel. He came over with a bigger shovel. As he dug he hit the side walls and the hole got a lot wider.It became necessary to build a concrete form, which I made with 4'x8' Oriented Strand Board and 2'x4" lumber. Although the 2"x4" lumber reinforced the box shape it was too weak to hold the heavy concrete. More timbers were wedge into place. Troy (used the digger) along with my crew of friends to back fill around the box as the concrete was poured.
Troy using his Digger, Placing the form in the hole, Ground water in bottom, My son Michael leveling Tower
Myself &son Michael, Painter tape & cardboard shield kept cement and backfill dirt off tower and concrete was poured.
Pour and backfill. As concrete was poured in water flowed out everywhere! The last pic shows concrete and dirt cleaned off the tower.
I still used more than the recommend 8 cubic yards of concrete. A continuous pour (used more than 12 yards to fill the form to the top, which required another concrete order from a different supplier at days end) . The Universal tower company said I did a good job, the tower isn't going to move. I'm glad, I didn't want to make a "Leaning Tower of Pisa".The concrete is more than 6 feet under ground and about 18" above ground. I plan to landscape the mound with stones.
The Tower is a 70' free standing. I installed a 4K pound winch to raise and lower the tower. (See below)
I finally got the Quad designed and built just before winter. Here it is going up, November 21, 2009. Thank goodness my neighbors came over when they saw it going up, I really needed their help to gently pull it into place (4 men, two men wasn't enough) while I bolted it into the base. I installed a steel bar to prevent it from tilting over the other way as the tower was upright and the 3rd bolt was installed at the base.
Before I raised the tower, I added four Halyards to the bearing plate with pulleys to pull up wire antennas.
I now have a 2 element full-size 40 meter slopper pulled up to the 60 foot level. It has a 15 degree take-off angle and 7.7dBi of gain when pulled up to about 69'. It works good where it is and I can still rotate the quad but it works better when pulled up to 69'. I recently used it with good results to work DX over the north pole into Asia. I switch back and forth between the slopper and my 2 horizontal ele wire yagi to decide which antenna is receiving better. I have changed the 80/40m yagi back to pointing East. I have added an 80 meter inverted vee to the South side of the tower. It works very well on 160 meters also! So now I finally have a 160 meter antenna!
While soldering the rotor plug I used pieces of heat shrink tubing to prevent the insulation from melting back.
On a recent visit to Florida, my Uncle gave me most of his Ham gear. Sad to say two years later, my good Uncle is now a silent key.
So much gear it barely fit in the car.
So far I have used the transcieivers and antenna analyzer and mini SWR bridge, but have yet to fire up the Henry. I've been advised to bring the voltage up slow, to avoid blowing the electrolytic capacitors in the power supply. I have a 120v Variac so I need to convert the Henry to operate on 120v temporarily. I have wired the shack for two 220v linear amps so, some day I may have two very good stations.
I might have finished the Tower and Quad project sooner if I had not spent so much time flying model airplanes.
I enjoy serving Christ by serving others (mission projects). I recently returned from Cambodia, where I taught the Bible to adults.
God Bless you.
Steven
I applied for DXCC at the 2009 Dayton Hamvetion and 80m DXCC at the 2010 Dayton Hamvention. I just got my 80m DXCC certificate.
I now have my 40 meter DXCC. And I was lucky enough to win the Rookie Award in the Michigan QSO Party.
I recently earned my 20 meter and 15 meter DXCC and I am one LoTW confirmation away from my 10 meter and 5 Band DXCC awards.
Today March 12, 2013 I received the 1st placeCertificate of Merit for my participation in the CQ WW WPX Contest 2012!2
Today, March 26, 2013 I received my 10 meter DXCC and my 5 Band DXCC Award!
So much gear it barely fit in the car. 
