Hi
I was looking at the picture:
http://comsec.com/2x2-antenna.jpg
and trying to replicate it (or something much like it).
In the center of the ground plane, there appears to be a metal plate of
some sort.
The anntenna appears to be attached to the plate via some sort of
cylinder.
what is that? does it contain a coil?
What is the relationship of the plate to the antenna feed wire?
how do you attach the ground plane to the cable without breaking the
conection
every time you more the assembly?
j.b.
On Fri, Sep 08, 2006 at 11:41:22AM -0600, Jim Borynec wrote:
Hi
I was looking at the picture:
http://comsec.com/2x2-antenna.jpg
and trying to replicate it (or something much like it).
Here’s a closeup: http://comsec.com/2x2-antenna-closeup.jpg
In the center of the ground plane, there appears to be a metal plate
of some sort.
It’s actually particle board covered with metal furnace tape. Turns
out that the adhesive on the tape is a pretty good insulator, so it
didn’t work out that well. Just wrapping the board with aluminum foil
would probably work, or just use a piece of sheet metal. You want
something that’s conductive and rigid and can be connected to the
hardware cloth. I used 1/4 inch square h/w cloth. I’d probably
go for the 1/2 inch square stuff next time. It’s stiffer.
The PCV pipe is 1 inch schedule 40. You can stiffen the joints up by
slipping wooden dowels in place, then drilling a hole through the pipe
- dowel for a bolt that will keep the dowel from drifting around.
The anntenna appears to be attached to the plate via
some sort of cylinder. what is that? does it contain a coil?
It’s an SO-239 connector (Radio Shack). No coil or anything, it’s
just there to serve as a socket for the antenna wire.
What is the relationship of the plate to the antenna feed wire?
The plate’s connected to the shield on the coax.
how do you attach the ground plane to the cable without breaking the
conection every time you more the assembly?
The cable is soldered to the back of the SO-239 connector. The shield
is effectively connected to the ground plane. There’s no quick
disconnect, though you could build one. I just coil the coax up and
use zip ties to hold it to the screen while moving it.
Eric
