[600MRG] KU4XR Tree-Tenna Experiment

[pehamel]

Andy,
The tree-tenna uses the conductive sap as the conductor.
When the tree freezes the sap stops running.
Unless you are south of the cool weather, you will have better luck when it 
warms up.
73,
Pat w5tht / wd2xsh/6

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andy - KU4XR" <ku4xr at yahoo.com>
To: "1750 Meter List" <lowfer at mailman.qth.net>; "600 meter group" 
<600MRG at w7ekb.com>; "Part 15 Group" <part15 at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2014 7:12 PM
Subject: [600MRG] KU4XR Tree-Tenna Experiment


> Hi all:
>
> Today I started the experimental process of receiving, using a tree as an 
> antenna..
> This is the first time I have ever tried this, so it will be interesting 
> to see what comes
> of it..I am pretty sure that my initial setup will be changed.. The tree 
> is a 50ish foot
> tall Hickory Nut tree, about 60 feet from the mobile home.. I drilled a 4 
> inch deep hole
> about 12 feet AGL into the tree, and used a 3-1/2 inch stainless lag bolt 
> to secure the
> wire to the tree.. I wrapped it tightly around the bolt between 2 washers, 
> and then
> screwed it into the tree with a socket wrench.. I tightened it until the 
> washers were flat
> against the wire, which is stranded copper FWIW.. I know that is 
> dissimilar metals,
> but hey, this is an experiment just to see if there is any merit in the 
> tree for an
> antenna idea.. Currently there are no transformers.. just a single wire .. 
> I have the wire
> between 10 to 12 feet above ground for about 60 feet to a tree right at 
> the end of my
> mobile home.. At this point, I wrap the wire around a branch, and drop it 
> to the ground.
> This was in hopes of minimizing noise from the QTH... However.. I feel 
> sure that the
> 60 feet of horizontal wire is picking up signals, and noise... That will 
> be the first thing
> That I change the next time I have some time.. Drop the entire wire onto 
> the ground
> all the way into the shack window.. The Tree-Tenna initially seems to be 
> deaf below
> 160 meters.. I hear nothing but the strongest A.M. stations in the BCB.. 
> Scanning
> 530 KHz and below ( during daylight ) heard only a couple of local NDB's..
> I started watching 630 meter WSPR at 4:30 pm local time, and started 
> seeing a
> weak trace from XGR/2 at 7 pm with the first decode at 7:10 pm.. Then the 
> ugly truth,
> The TV was turned on in the family room at 7:34 pm, and all copy 
> stopped...
> nothing but TV lines..
> Going to try a few different configurations, just to see what the 
> experiment will show..
> Earlier listening, I checked WWVB at 60 KHz and it was about 2 S-units 
> below the
> 160 dipole, and had a buzzy, and fluttery sound.. Can't explain it, since 
> I have never
> tried this before.. I set at 185.3 KHz and the noise level was very low.. 
> I then ran it
> thru a variable Inductor and can tune it for about 2 more S-units higher.. 
> That doesn't
> mean I'll actually hear anything though.. Thru other experiments I found 
> that just
> because I have noise, doesn't mean I have signal...630 meter WSPR as an 
> example,
> S meter reading 2-1/2 S-units of noise, but decoding no-one..
>
> 73 to all, and thanks for reading this:
>
> Andy - KU4XR
>
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