Antenna Grounding and Feedback

So I have a new shack, and with a new shack comes new problems.

Right now the issue seems to be feedback getting back to the radio and causing interference to the radio. I've got two antennas up, and there's a third I scrapped.

First antenna up was a 20m Off Center Fed Dipole (OCFD), I used a 4:1 W2DU balun at whatever ratio (1:3 I think?) the online plans told me. Results were middlin' and I think it caused some problems. I definitely could have used an antenna analyzer to help me deploy that. I've scrapped it for now, the housing for the balun came unglued, so it will need some work. There's also some debate as to whether i need a voltage balun or current balun, or possibly both here. Honestly most of the documentation i've found about OCFDs sounds more like magic than easily replicable  science. I don't know. I'll try again in the future, but I also need to take another look at my skeleton slot fed dual band dipole project I started a loooooong time ago, but never finished. I'll apparently need a ferrite bead current balun for that.

Then I deployed a long wire. It's half an 80m dipole. it's doing OK, but is very tuning touchy. I don't know if that's because my station ground is lacking, or what. Right now, my ground is simply the return to main. I'm sure that's part of the issue, but I'm not sure what to do about it. I am tempted to run a wire to the ground rod outside that's from the old shack. My latest research on station grounding has me second guessing that though. 

My third antenna is a 20m Delta loop. It's served me well in the past. I have it deployed as a nearly equilateral triangle with 450ohm ladder line. I've tuned everything from 20 and up, and had some nice contacts. It gives me the least amount of feedback, and to get the feedback to stop, all I have to do is turn the power down a little.

That's it for now, a tour of my shack and projects.

lots to do.

New Post on BASIC Blog

 Some time ago, I started a ministry to homeless people called BASIC.

BASIC Stands for "Believing And Serving In Christ". I started a blog over there that I used to propagate our prayer list, and to provide updates to the ministry's supporters. I would also post theological posts over there, including sermons and lessons I've done other places. now I'm in the middle of a series on the topic of Salvation.

it will be a multi part series, here's the first post:

https://basicorlando.blogspot.com/2023/03/brothers-what-shall-we-do-salvation.html

go and check it out, tell your friends.

The Fight

 I'm weary.

I'm burdened.

I'm tired of being ignored, maligned, and pushed aside in favor of shallow, insipid, worldly philosophies.

 

I am full of lament.

So much has been lost! What can be gained if you forfeit your soul! All around me those who would claim the Name of the Creator show they don't understand. A few know that they don't understand, and maybe more than them can grasp it, but so many are without even a most basic knowledge of what they were called to do when they began calling on the Name of the Lord.

Ah His Name is so abused.

by my lips and my deeds. Father, I'm often one of them, blessing with the same mouth that curses. Knowing the cure, but when do I show the way.

I'm not blameless. I'm not righteous.

I sit.

burdened.

I need to tell you what I know of the Lord.

What is wrong will be made new. What is old will pass away.

Burned away, I await a transformation. Grace changes things. Changes what I am. Feets of clay fall away replaced by solid rock. This rock is a teaching I know and obey.

Do you see it yet? It came.

It's here.