ad: chuckmartin

V55V's Rhombics - A Big Signal Out of Africa!

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by DK7PE, Mar 9, 2018.

ad: L-HROutlet
ad: l-rl
ad: Left-2
ad: Left-3
ad: L-MFJ
ad: abrind-2
ad: Radclub22-2
  1. MI0YLT

    MI0YLT Ham Member QRZ Page

    Guys had already read about rhombic v Yagis and gain per acre etc a few years back, had also read about w6am amazing setup it should have been kept.

    Ok it's not the king of antennas.

    But put me in the centre of a daisy rhombic and I would feel like I was in heaven.

    No waiting for a rotator to turn, every direction and every band.

    Even a single rhombic unterminated (I know the acreage involved before we go there)in Ireland we are in a good position we can work Europe and states on a bidirectional antenna which would cover 85 percent of ham community.

    The video is amazing the scenery and one mans dream setup being fulfilled as someone said earlier and don't forget the lovely elephants you can keep the lizard though lol
     
    KI6PMD, AK5B, DK7PE and 1 other person like this.
  2. NL7W

    NL7W Ham Member QRZ Page

    Mine comes in around 9300 miles between Tazmania and Biloxi, MS on 6M SSB.
     
    AK5B likes this.
  3. NL7W

    NL7W Ham Member QRZ Page

    I worked Don in the 80's as a teenager. Good guy. :)

    One hell of a station -- now the antenna farm acreage is nothing but new homes/condos. :(
     
    KB2QQM, MI0YLT, AK5B and 1 other person like this.
  4. KM1H

    KM1H Ham Member QRZ Page

    Mine was several F2 CW contacts into Australia, all but VK6, all over 10K miles. Plus Japan by some unknown path during a low sunspot period. A mix of E, Auroral E and whatever else with 1200W into a HB 8 el at ~70'

    Carl
     
  5. NL7W

    NL7W Ham Member QRZ Page

    Ten Watts and a small 3 over 3 el stack. :)
     
    AK5B and KM1H like this.
  6. KM1H

    KM1H Ham Member QRZ Page

    NICE!

    In the 60's I operated from the top of Mt Eqinox in VT. Gear was a HQ-129X, HB 6M converter, CE-10A, HB TX converter with about 10W out on CW/SSB and 3/3 Hilltoppers. A small generator on the ground and a 53 Chevy wagon with a small table and a sleeping bag. I was the first reported 6M SSB station from VT (and first VT period for many) and had mini pileups going.

    Worked down to VA on tropo and out to Ohio on morning meteors.

    Worked from that location many times with increasingly better gear until moving to Chicago in 70-73.

    Carl
     
    AK5B and NL7W like this.
  7. G0WXU

    G0WXU Ham Member QRZ Page

    That video only has one thing wrong with it. It was not long enogh. I realy enjoyed it. Yes Rhombics do work. Even the smaller vertical rhombic like I set up in the Malaysian jungle in 1968 to use on the end of my A41 Manpack Brit Army radio. On low band VHF tuned via a lashed up Pi configed ATU and a 400 Ohm term resistor at the far end. I had the Pioneers cut me a 30 odd feet length of bamboo for a mast and also chopped me a path through in line for the ground return wire. The Brigade Rebro had gone dead in-between Bde HQ and our Batalion . Only a hundred and some miles total, but on the 1 watt out-put of a A41 radio- no chance. Up went the vertical half Rhombic, a slidex mesage sent to Bde HQ asking for permision to work to them direct and the answer that Pronto- the Bde Signals officer was on his way over in a helicopter. When he arrived he gave me a rosting for not putting a red light at the top of the mast (joking). He was quite impresed and wanted to know were I had come up with the idea for the antenna. To cut a long story short I more or less explained that it was a project I had been working on back in Germany (BAOR) and just happened to have it with me. Has you do stuck out in the jungle. I had used it to work from Hildesheim up into Denmark were some of our guys had gone up there in Rovers to carry out the trials. 73 de John - G0WXU.
     
    AK5B, DK7PE, KB2QQM and 1 other person like this.
  8. KJ6ZD

    KJ6ZD Ham Member QRZ Page

    Another myth (working on it for the past 40+ years), when the propagation isn't there, only smoke signals will work, they don't need 1500 foot antennas.
    In the contrary, if propagation is good, I use my wet noodle and make contacts all over the world, being barefoot.
    You can probably tell, I am not very competitive, hi, hi...

    Enjoyed the video...TKS

    Alles gute in der Heimat, hat sich sehr veraendert in den letzten 30 Jahren!
     
    DK7PE and KR3DX like this.
  9. KB2QQM

    KB2QQM Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Rhombics are dream antennas.. What a beautiful property they had. The Spirit of Amateur Radio. I wish the rest of humanity could learn something from it. We are only here for a short time. Enjoy it. Love Others and share..it really is so simple.

    I was drawn to this movie and the DX as I didn't go to bed until 4am this morning. I bought my first new radio in a decade and I was lucky enough to work VK7DD in Tasmania on 30meters digital FT8 at 3 am this morning. 0900Z. 10,000 miles away with my puny little 50 foot vertical and 40 watts. I was contemplating my 40 watts signal at the speed of light going 10,000 miles. We take it for granted really, how really incredible radio and electronics is. I only think like this when I have sleep deprivation. It causes me to slow down and think..lol.

    Greg
     
    NL7W, MI0YLT, AK5B and 2 others like this.
  10. KB2QQM

    KB2QQM Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    I think we all dream of a better antenna. I am working on a Transmitting Loop for 80/40. Maybe I will just buy the Ciro Massoni Italian loop. Best bang for the buck on a property with zero trees.

    I would still love to put up some killer wire antennas...
     
    MI0YLT, AK5B and DK7PE like this.
  11. KI6PMD

    KI6PMD Ham Member QRZ Page

     
    MI0YLT likes this.
  12. KI6PMD

    KI6PMD Ham Member QRZ Page

    Thanks Summer for reading my little comments ! by the way I checked my logs & I say two more V55V logs WOW ! in the 2012 contest & 2013 contest both on 10 meters SSB ! what a surprise ! & thanks to DK7PE also 73 Summer hope we can all work in the coming years .. Phil KI6PMD
     
    MI0YLT likes this.
  13. K2JX

    K2JX Ham Member QRZ Page

    I will not argue with the merits or faults with Rhombic antenna's, I'm not an Antenna Engineer. However, I can tell you that they really work. Back in late 1970's when RCA World Communications (Rocky Point New York) HF station was still active here on Long Island, Alex, AI2Q and I were friends with the station manager, Mr. Bob McGraw, W2LYH, (SK). On a visit one day Bob had his Heathkit HW-8 QRP rig up on the air feeding a 13,000' wire Rhombic antenna beamed to Liberia. Alex, AI2Q sat down at the key, called CQ and immediately received a reply ! I don't remember what Ham band we were on, but not one operator on the other end of the QSO believed we were running 8 watts input to the antenna in use. When Alex replied "8 watts hr OM, antenna Rhombic on 100' poles" There was a moment of silence on the other end. Nobody would believe what our operating conditions were that day. It's one of my most treasured memories during my long Ham career. As a side comment, how could V55V not win Contest's with those antenna's and a clear shot to the horizon ? I enjoyed the video, well done !
    de K2JX
     
    KB9GHN and DK7PE like this.
  14. DK7PE

    DK7PE Ham Member QRZ Page

    Hi John,
    it took 45 years until I finally had the chance to work on such a huge antenna. So far I only knew it in theory and from the receiving side when Martins signal was booming in while I operated out of the Pacific or of course out of Germany.
    Since there are only a few of these antennas around, using one of them was probably a once in a lifetime experience to us. I enjoyed it! Thank you Martin!
     

Share This Page

ad: wmr-1