Project X has officially started… although I’m not telling you what it is just yet! First job: make some room. In this video I head out into the field to dismantle an experimental 15/12/10m vertical antenna that’s been standing here for the last couple of years. It was a surprisingly effective little system, using three vertical elements and a shared radial/guy arrangement, so before taking it apart I give you a closer look at how it worked.
I also show you a very simple and inexpensive way of adding guy points to a pole.
Then we move over to another experiment: can I turn the centre mast of my 40m four-square system into a serious 160m vertical?
A bit of detective work with a multimeter reveals exactly where the unwanted short circuit is coming from – and fortunately, it looks like the solution could be relatively straightforward.
With around 700 metres of radial wire already underneath it, plus a planned 9m extension, that 160m project could become quite an antenna.
And finally… the space is cleared.
Next job: digging a hole for Project X.
I’ll reveal what Project X actually is once I know it works!
Enjoy your radio.
73
Callum – DX Commander
