You know you are into 'home-brew' when the project is called a 'Bucket Variometer' :-) .... great video. Many thanks. 73

Kevin, I'm late to this video but new to 630 (still in my UTC waiting period). This whole series has been very informative and useful. Thank you very much! I particularly enjoy the insight your "home brewing" process! Just the right amount of background to help us understand the engineering. Well done! 73

Very cool build. I am learning about radio watching your videos.

Great build information of how to build the variometer. Looked around the internet and your instruction is the best and clearest I have seen anywhere. The Hall of Flame pictures are very impressive but I believe we are limited to 5 watts on 630 meter band but your advice on keeping things in the clear is absolutely one of the golden rules to use. Thanks for all your videos.

@loughkb

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks. My motivation was the lack of instructions out there. It took me lots and lots of reading to understand how to make it. So I wanted to cover the whole thing in one *hopefully* easy to follow vid. We're limited to 5W EIRP, radiated power. With inefficient antennas, you can pump in 100W in many cases and only radiate a few. :-)

Enjoying your work Kevin. From Australia.

I have built many inductors but you did a good job!

Good job on the Variometer. Thanks for sharing it with us. 73 DE Frank, K7RMJ

Wow, just stumbled into this. What an interesting inductor configuration. So, 3D print a smaller version of this. 3D print plate variable cap. You've got an antenna tuner from scratch!

This gives me hope of getting on 630 and having some fun on my small lot.

Big fan,keep up the good work

Well explained great video

This is amazing. Hoping to try this on 1750m. Thank you.

Love to try this band very interesting

Thanks, Kevin. Great job. 73, bill

I watched part of this video some time ago and rewatched the whole of it tonight. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was really interested in contruction, clockwise winding, taps, the use of double sided tape, etc. Strange thing is I don't plan to make one, or transmit on 630m I just found it an interesting concept and you explained things in such a nice manner and steady pace. Ham radio, but I watch most videos you put out on other subjects. Cheers 73's Andy M6APJ.

Very nice video, enjoyed it very much. tks 73 Leo

Pretty neat Kevin.

Nothing like unbridled ambition😄 nice variometer!

The variable cap money from 1910 would be $120 today. Quite a bit for a small thing. But yet, very well made.

@loughkb

6 жыл бұрын

I figured someone would look it up! Thanks!

Kevin thanks for the great video! I have a 140ft doublet im using hung up between two trees ~ 40/50ft, for 160/80m, with ladderline down into a 4:1 about 5 feet up against the tree, then 100ft LMR to the shack. Do you think this would work with the doublet? It was a pain in the butt getting it up in the tree LOL. Thanks again! 73

Knowledge + Experiment = Kevin ' home made

That was interesting. Thank you. N0QFT

Actually, Rig Expert has two antenna analyzers that have a range that goes down to 60 KHz (and up to either 35 or 55 Mhz). The new NanoVNA's also supposedly go down to 60 KHz.

Kevin, good show! Will be looking for you on the air. de KQ2E

I suppose that you could have even a greater range of inductance by letting the moving coil rotate a full 180°. That would eliminate the need for some taps.

The word you were looking for, for those little strengthening pieces is "Ribs".

@mikem5043

26 күн бұрын

...or "gussets"

1700 meter band and we'll be very roughly approaching the 1912 Marconi Corporation "spark" frequencies of HMS Titanic. (OK, we need to be closer to 5000 meters!) and 50,000 Kw into a tuned antenna array, maybe good for +20 dB or better on a 0*C North Atlantic night! I built a crystal radio when I was 11 or 12 (Bornstein-Appleby!) and wound the coils so I could listen to long-wave ships up to 4 meter commercial short-wave (South American and Cubano musica) and "Wolf-Man" Jack XIXI 1010 AM, de Vox de Monterrey-1,000,000 watts PEP REAL AM after 8 PM local time! Yup, I'm that old! Cold winter nights listening to 5MHz Rio and Buenos Aries (and Havana) vocalists in bed.

I've got a couple of assemblies , which I believe were for old time low band radios. Difference 1, they used switched Toroid So hard to describe I'm going to need to d a video . Would take a really crazy switching system. At one time for marine they had these ultra low frequency beacons. I actually have a Bendix Marine Direction finder with the frequencies. Way below the broadcast band. You can see why they would use a ball, maximum coupling. Hard to wind though. I'd love to put it on my Inductance measurement device from China, a little board. Would measure it fine. It also measures variable caps.

Thanks for the great video, Kevin. It was very helpful and motivating. One question for you. Do you know about how much of the wire (in footage) you used of the stranded and solid you used to make the bucket variometer?

@loughkb

4 жыл бұрын

Sorry, I didn't measure the length.

@tglenn3121

4 жыл бұрын

@@loughkb One of the things I'll be curious to see with your bucket variometer is how well it holds up in the weather. Where I live, which is kind of a cool coastal climate, those buckets dry out and become brittle within 6-9 months.

Hi Kevin, Very easy to follow build. Something that could be used for the ground plane is chicken wire. Not in your situation, but for those with an antenna out in the clear. How about a live stream on one of your testing sessions? 73 WB3BJU

@loughkb

6 жыл бұрын

The live stream is not a bad idea. Maybe after the next project build. A down converter to allow you to transmit with your existing QRP radio in carrier modes. (WSPR, JT, mfsk, rtty, etc.) And after band conditions improve in a couple of months.

@Dazzwidd

4 жыл бұрын

Remember that chicken wire corrodes. If there's metal fencing nearby, running radial wires out to it under the grass and connecting to them would possibly work well. I recommend looking at the antenna systems used by long wave, non directional beacons... well the ones I know were used in Australia anyway. They use a "Tee" arrangement, but the top of the "Tee" is comprised of several parallel conductors between a pair of towers like a clothesline. The towers would be around 100 feet high. At the bottom is the matching and they use a transmitter of around 100W. I know that they definitely would have a ground system of some description, but I don't know what. I'd love to talk to the original technicians who installed and designed them. On typical frequencies of 300khz, they tend to put out a solid signal to a regular loopstick bearing receiver for over 20km. This would be very handy info for the 630m operator.

I think PVC can hold a static charge. Maybe use a wooden shaft for that axle and delete the metal turning grip (??)

@loughkb

26 күн бұрын

With an antenna length of a couple hundred feet or so, I wouldn't be worried about wind loaded static charge. Any more so than I'd be worried about it on a regular antenna inspiration. And anyway, any static would bleed off through the ground side of the inductor if you have a ground rod or down the braid through the ground of your radio. It would never accumulate.

Question about needing radial "density" to prevent ground absorption. Assuming all rf the same, with VHF and UHF there are reflector types of antennas that are porous. Rule of thumb, I think, is to keep reflector openings less than 1/10 wave length. Why would this not apply at medium wave with respect to "ground reflectors"? It would seem a 63 meter spacing would work.

@loughkb

6 жыл бұрын

You opening statement provides a window to the answer. "Assuming all rf the same". Nope, RF behaves differently at different frequencies. For example, in school, while learning about microwave RF and wave guides, I was surprised to discover that the behavior was similar to fluid flowing through pipes. At some frequencies in HF, the earth will reflect the RF and we get multiple skips. At medium wave, the earth will absorb the RF. Down at Low Frequency and Very Low Frequency, the earth can even carry the RF along.

Thanks for this Video Looking forward to work you one day 73's de HB9HAL

Nice build Kevin :) Suggestion: for the tube to the centre coil, 3D print rings flat on one side and bucket curve on the other side that you can glue on the outside to ensure that each side has a flat surface. This way you will not have any play on the shaft.

@W4TRI

6 жыл бұрын

Also add wire combs to space your turns like you did on the 4ft loop.

@loughkb

6 жыл бұрын

Everything I've read says you want the turns close spaced, insulation touching. So that would actually lead to less inductance and maybe a need for a taller form if your antenna was particularly short.

I've watched this a few times now and learnt a lot. Now you are RV resident and have more space for antennas, I wonder if you still work 630m? I don't remember seeing any videos but I'm pretty good a forgetting things. Goes with the geriatric handle!

@loughkb

2 жыл бұрын

Having room is relative to where I'm at. In most places there are other RVs around and I don't really have the space. I did take the vario with me though, if the opportunity presents itself. I did put something up out here in the southwest once, but there was very little activity. The population is much thinner out here.

@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE

2 жыл бұрын

@@loughkb Thanks for the reply Kevin, I understand the situation now. Hopefully, you will get the right combination of space, propagation and recipients one day. Good move to keep the vario.

Hi Kevin, can this be used for 2200 m and also higher into the 40m?

hi kevin works great the principle i used 2 times de coil windings and at the top a neon licht or pick up ponit whit a meter and diodes.the i make rest of the lengt whit the centerpoince and top load try too get more wires in the air so mutch as you cane.more is better.greetszzz

Advanced bucket features that you don't just get on every bucket.

@Dazzwidd

4 жыл бұрын

haha yea every mayonnaise or fondant bucket should come with outer variometer windings so that we can easily just complete the project 😆 Actually, there's a high zig zagging steel stair case here where I am staying. I wish I had a variometer to connect to it to play on the MW AM broadcasting band 😀

Would a slip ring connection method might have negated the need to use stranded wire connecting the moving coil to the outer coil.

@KB4QAA

6 жыл бұрын

GDK: Yes, but at the trade off of higher resistance, increased complexity and probably less reliable contact. All the old time designs with variometers use flexible wire and soldered/bolted connections.

A bucket? You should check EEVBlog for the insane tech that Aussie finds in his work dumpster. The lucky baaaaast___.

Would this variometer also work on a G5RV which is basically a T to start with?

@loughkb

6 жыл бұрын

I would think it should, as long as it's a single conductor, the vario is right at the bottom of it and you have some kind of radials on the ground.

@Dazzwidd

4 жыл бұрын

If your feedline to the G5RV is as long as one of its legs, and is mostly vertical, it would work very well. When the vertical part of a "Tee" vertical is shorter than one of the halves of the top part, efficiency can begin to suffer. If it's only a bit shorter, no problems, give it a go! If you have a metal fence close by, ground to that too. You may be pleasantly rewarded

Radials for MW on the ground? Over the ground? In the ground? How does that work exactly to shield from the ground? As far as i know you want height, lots of it this should minimise ground losses but sufficient height is not practical at 630M

@Dazzwidd

4 жыл бұрын

I think that he does need to look into the ground side of things in more detail, but h height will definitely not help as with MF you're trying to propagate a vertically polarised surface wave signal, height would be what you'd be wanting to support a low angle space or sky wave signal. On these frequencies a horizontally polarised signal is going to suffer severe attenuation and it just doesn't work. Concerning the ground surface wave, it actually suffers less attenuation the lower in frequency you go. If you live in an area with above average soil conductivity or a high water table, this is a very good band to experiment on, if you're into it. So putting a good ground down under your antenna is not to shield it from the ground really, but it's to improve the quality of the ground directly under the antenna, reduce ground return resistance losses and get your ground surface wave propagating as best as possible. All short vertical antennae need a good ground counterpoise on any frequency, and this is no exception

HI A good video However the adding of the Taps makes it a Variocoupler 73 de Jordan ve7jjd

If you don't mind me asking, how again do you have the SO-239 wired up?? And how do you strip the insulation for the taps?

@loughkb

2 жыл бұрын

The center of the so-239 goes to the end of the coil, the shield side goes to a binding post next to it for connection to a ground or radial system. I used a razor knife to strip away the insulation where I made the taps.

@tglenn3121

2 жыл бұрын

@@loughkb Oh, thank you very much for the reply and the info. I appreciate it. :)

@tglenn3121

2 жыл бұрын

@@loughkb Also, on the wiring for the outside bucket, I guess it is two separate sets of windings rather than one long run from the 'bottom' to where the so--239 is...?

@loughkb

2 жыл бұрын

@@tglenn3121 No, it's one long coil, split into a center section that rotates. I think i linked something in the video description. There's a few diagrams out there if you search on 630 meters variometer.

@tglenn3121

2 жыл бұрын

@@loughkb But the wire windings around the outside bucket are 'cut' to attach to the lugs that the inner coil is attached to (if I'm seeing that correctly). Sorry to pester you about it, but I'm just in the process of doing the wiring on this, and I just want to make sure I do it right the first time and understanding how you did it. Thanks for the very helpful video. :)

Hey Kevin. W9TE only on echolink during certain hours?

@loughkb

6 жыл бұрын

The computer had failed. As I understand it, it's been repaired , but has yet to be re-installed at the repeater site.

@ed-jf3xh

6 жыл бұрын

Ah, that would explain it.Well, some day. By the way, you get much noise from the nearby high voltage line?

@loughkb

6 жыл бұрын

No, not much at all. Somewhere down the line is a iffy ground though. Windy wet days a bit of a buzz comes and goes.

24:42 less total inductance for the same amount of lossy wire (or, realistically, more wire to make up the same inductance), which means less Q and less efficiency. So yeah, you don't really want to do that :)

@Dazzwidd

4 жыл бұрын

The two opposing magnetic fields will also cause accelerated losses as well I suspect

@hobbified

4 жыл бұрын

@@Dazzwidd yeah, two sides of the same coin :)

if you can measure the inductance at the setting that works with your antenna on 630 meters, can and will you make a smaller fixed inductor to swap in and out when you want to work 630 meters? Better yet, will it STILL work if you made a fixed inductance one?

@KB4QAA

6 жыл бұрын

JS: Yes, to both.

@loughkb

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, but you would still need *some* variable adjustment. Temperature changes, humidity changes, it's going to drift a bit and need to be tweaked. It's a narrow bandwidth, narrower when you've got a good ground plane.

Most of the content here is audio and could be put on a website. Video is for pictures not someone sitting in front of a camera for 10 minutes talking.

@cmerton

3 жыл бұрын

Waaaaaaa waaaaaaaaaah. woo-dee-booooooo

Does the bucket still smell of pickles? ;-)

@loughkb

3 жыл бұрын

It's been well washed! ha.

Nabanda bakeli

@loughkb

Ай бұрын

What are cold?

детекторный приемник мужик делает