Quartzfest 2023 - N9SAB Linked Dipole Testing for Regional Comms

In this video, we'll head over to Quartzfest at Quartzsite, Arizona and we'll test out a new prototype antenna from Tim N9SAB for regional communications.
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0:00 Introduction
1:37 Arrow II Yagi
3:00 Chameleon CHA PORTA-MAST
3:45 Day 1: Basic Comms Setup
5:44 Day 1: N9SAB Linked Dipole Deployment
9:01 Day 2: Complete Comms Setup
11:26 Day 2: Winlink NVIS
12:14 Day 2: Laptop Field Power
14:59 Day 3: 120 Mile SSB Contact
16:41 Day 3: Close
GEAR SHOWN
* N9SAB Antennas - www.ebay.com/str/n9sab
* CHA PORTA-MAST - chameleonantenna.com/shop-her...
* CHA PORTA-MOUNTS - chameleonantenna.com/shop-her...
* Arrow II Yagi - www.arrowantennas.com/arrowii...
* 12VDC-to-16VDC vehicle charger: www.ebay.com/itm/384163437798
* 12VDC Cigarette to Anderson Powerpole: amzn.to/3JqNV46
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#thetechprepper #quartzfest #hamradio #2023

[@hamradiowithkevin]

I really enjoyed getting to meet you at camp and sharing your new antenna design. Keep up the great work.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Ditto. Thanks for a good time. It was fun hanging out with Jason, Chuck and yourself.

[@DK5ONV]

👀 happy Weekend Kevin 💯🙋‍♂

[@Bill-HRT]

I recognize that cup! Hey Gaston, it was nice to meet you. Thanks for the cup. Thank you for sharing this video and all the others. Your approach to ham radio is very interesting, relevant, and fills a void. 73 de K0WHW @Bill-HRT

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're welcome. It was nice to meet you too, Bill. I believe you are for the first person to receive a "used" mug. I hope you gave it a good rinse. 73 de Gaston KT7RUN

[@Bill-HRT]

@@TheTechPrepper But think . . . One day because you've documented it here, that mug will demand a high price at auction! Hey, I definitely want to talk to you someday to get tips for 2 meter ssb in this area. 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@Bill-HRT Provenance established! Try tuning into tonight. The AZ SWOT net meets tonight. I can't make it though. 1900 local time on 144.250 USB.

[@jjrobiso]

I love that hf antenna.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's been a heat little performer for my regional communications. It was hit at recent trip to the Grand Canyon.

[@SimonVK3XEM]

Thanks for another great video mate, enjoyed it.

[@DK5ONV]

Gaston you just blowing me away....Leprechaun Leprechaun 😎👍. You did a awsome job setting up all your Antennas & Stuff for the Quartzfest out in the Desert. KK6USY Fire Chief Chuck is doing a lot of awsome Things HAM Radio wise like you do. Enjoy the Quartzfest 2023... and have a great Weekend. 73 de YFUG 💯🔔🔔🔔🤘🙋‍♂

[@TheTechPrepper]

The Yagi was a fail. I usually have my 35' run of RG8x with the BNC connectors, but I left it home. Luckily, the RG-316 in my rucksack saved the day. The N9SAB Linked Dipole with the custom extension was redemption, though. Cheers from the US!

[@kb9liq]

I need somebody new to follow and watch videos and your are looking pretty good, Thanks

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the party. You might enjoy my "No Random Contacts" series. There's a playlist. Have a good one.

[@THESPORTINGCAMP]

Nice RV and breakfast. 🥓🍳☕️

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks! It was nice getting out for a few days with the pup.

[@DXJungle]

Great video Gaston. I am a fan of Tim’s antenna. Unfortunately I missed out on N9SAB TTP model.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Once these current orders ship. We'll do another round next month. Right now, I am just selling to the BMAC group, so you will get an email with all details next month if you're still interested.

[@DXJungle]

@@TheTechPrepper Yes I am interested and to add I am now an official BMAC member. 👍

[@mikefromflorida8357]

No such thing as a “long” video. The longer the better for most of us. Keep them coming, and your concerns about quality are unfounded.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good to hear the next will be a bit on the longer side. Have a good one.

[@michaelditurno4372]

The 75m NVIS contact was awesome. I'm glad the N9SAB antenna was a winner.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yeah, it's a winner. Hopefully, this will either be on my store or Tim's store soon. We just have a bit more testing to do. 73's

[@michaelditurno4372]

This looks like a great time! I'm glad you had such a productive trip.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It was a fun trip. It was great hanging out with the other KZbinrs.

[@dougdaniels]

If you need to do a quick fix in the field on that linked dipole, just bring some wire and alligator clips and make 2 pigtails to drop the resonant frequency.

[@ecmo2007]

I just got a new antenna yesterday from Tim as well. I'm anxious to try it out. It feels like it will bridge the gap I've been looking for with regards to being robust, light weight & compact. Thank you for another good video Gaston.

[@_RadioMadeEasy]

Around 13:57 I had a mild panic thinking I'd cracked my phone screen, ha! Thanks for the great content. I need to get you another coffee on the way.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Haha. I can see that now. Nope, it was just the wire antenna. I appreciate the support.

[@larrybushman1]

Many thanks for that mate always entertaining always informative.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@shanemccray4050]

Greatly looking forward to all the new content.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear it. More content on the way. Cheers!

[@propagating-radio]

Great video! Keep up the informative content.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, will do!

[@AD6DMDennis]

Pretty sweet RV. Comfort offgrid.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yeah, it was strange turning on the propane furnace at night. It dropped to the high 30's overnight. It's nice having a shitter, too. ;-)

[@shellmaker10]

Good stuff!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks!

[@markbonney2511]

Thanks for another great video, Gaston! Don't sweat the production quality too much. The demos and other info are what we're here for. Quick question: What mode were you using on Winlink? Didn't sound like AX.25 or Vara.....

[@TheTechPrepper]

I was using ARDOP on HF. Thanks for the support.

[@markbonney2511]

@The Tech Prepper I need to pay closer attention, haha. I thought that was the 6000. Thanks!

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@markbonney2511 Nope. FT-818ND. Those two manpacks look identical, minus the radio.

[@douglasvamateurradioandmore]

Would like to have met with you and seen those equipment. I also keep a second 50 ft roll of rg8x in my pack. Next year, I will be out to quartzfest. I'm hopimg the whole week, but at least one of the weekends.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Sounds great!

[@Sean-AI7EQ]

Loving your set up Gaston and of course the videos. I may have to make my own NVIS linked dipole. How do you run your coax cables inside of your RV?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, Sean! I just run the coax through the side window. With RG-316 the window is barely cracked open. It got down to the mid 30's, but there was very little draft especially when I closed the sun screen over the feed line coming into the house compartment. I should have showed this. Good luck with your build. We're going to be selling a special version of this in February.

[@KM4ACK]

NVIS for the win!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yes, sir! Two for two. This is definitely my new portable NVIS antenna.

[@evgeshka00]

Awesome vid! Could you make a dedicated video on the nvis antennas and use cases? I live in CO and would like to have a portable/backpackable nvis setup for comms (preferably with a handheld).

[@evgeshka00]

NVM! Found one of your older vids regarding this topic. Thank you!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you found it. I have a few NVIS videos. There's one in my No Random Contacts as well as the original one I made where I use a "water hose" analogy.

[@Marty48034]

HAH--I totally caught the WallyWorld BFE comment. Nice.

[@Marty48034]

FWIW--I am DEFINITELY over 40. LOL

[@TheTechPrepper]

40 is when the fun starts!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Finally! Someone who gets my humor. ;-)

[@ghostmandka5498]

Enjoying the channel! How do you secure the base of the trekking pole?

[@TheTechPrepper]

The Arrow II has a corresponding mounting bracket. The link is in the description under the Arrow II.

[@k2cjbradio]

Excellent video as always and fantastic setup! Definitely helps having that king of space to deploy the linked dipole. The question is did you get out of the parking lot first? 😂 73 de K2CJB

[@TheTechPrepper]

You bet! I left Wednesday and had no issues getting out. ;-) Finally, someone who got the reference. It was great having plenty of space. 73

[@Mike-yq7ce]

The Evolve laptop is a little slow, but if you follow the debloating process that HRCC covers it improves the performance if running Window's. Does look like a good time out there.

[@Siskiyous6]

Chris Titus Tech has a great Windows debloating script too.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I believe you. It's just too delicate to bounce around in backpack, but that price is hard to beat especially since the Raspberry Pi's have gone out of site in price.

[@peterkunka2694]

A lot of wins here. I'm glad you were able to get away and enjoy some time practicing, and have so much success doing so. Cool you brought your dog (our Chiweenie is a camp champ and loves the outdoors). I'm a Technician and enjoy the simple 2m/70cm equipment for everyday use, but... I am getting interested in upgrading to General and doing these relatively simple and mobile comms while camping. I'm a D-Star fan using the internet, but comms with fire in the wire is really appealing to reach out. The key for me is what my investment would be (radio/antenna/etc) and what the reward would be (mostly listening for activity/or making repeated solid contacts when I wanted to). I guess, I made the jump for local activity... now, I should make the jump and see what the world is doing?! Good video. Looked like you were really enjoying yourself out there. Peace and cheers! Pete - KI7LIL

[@ethanlowe1845]

Im a tech too, I would absolutely recommend getting into HF even before you upgrade. We get privileges on the 10m band, which has been very active recently. Hf is a completely different world from 2m/70cm!! Ive had tonnes of fun with a xiegu g90 and some home made dipoles. 73s

[@peterkunka2694]

@@ethanlowe1845 Thanks, Ethan. I know our Technician license is more than just 2m/70cm. Good to hear you are having contacts on 10m and the radio is working for you. Where are you transmitting/receiving from? Callsign, please? Peace. Pete KI7LIL in Arizona.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It was fun playing radio and boondocking with the pup. I encourage you to upgrade. I think you'll enjoy the simple wire deployments at NVIS height. It's great for lighting up the state and region. The Yaesu FT-891 or even Xiegu (G90 or X6100) are a great value for a low-cost entry into HF. It would be great to have another station to talk to over HF when boondocking our camping in the backcountry.

[@TheTechPrepper]

This is great advice. The G90 is a great 20 watts rig and a great price with a built-in ATU. A simple a wire antenna will do the trick. 10m is amazing right now.

[@peterkunka2694]

@@TheTechPrepper I'm getting more and more interested in taking the test. My wife's birthday is coming up, so after I take care of that, I can look at spending time/money to upgrade. I have Icom equipment (ID-51 HT and ID-5100 mobile), so I would be looking at the IC-705... for a few reasons. Compact size, covers all bands, and uses the same battery as the ID-51 HT that I already have (I bought the extended battery size for it, and I already have the chargers). Question: Now for 10m, could I use the 102" stainless steel whip CB antenna I already have (10m is right next to 11m)? I'm an old CB guy and if I could use the 102" antenna on a tripod and run coax to the 705 at home/camping/hotel balconies, then I'd enjoy that while studying for the General license. And, I do understand I would need different antennas for different bands on HF, not just the 102" for everything.

[@DonzLockz]

I can't find that "Short Hobbit" antenna on eBay!😆👍 Great setup you have there Gaston, even with RG316 coax.🤟 Oh, EmmComm tools has banned the Evolve Jankapotamus! Haha😆

[@TheTechPrepper]

Tim and I spoke last night. We're going to sell my purpose-built design in my store (shop.thetechprepper.com/) at the end February. We just need to make one more tweak for the 80m link. There will be a dedicated video that covers the "TTP EmComm Linked Dipole" when it comes out. At the moment, Tim only carries the 20/40m dipole. This was a variation that I asked for. My version is designed for very-low deployments with the intended application of using it for NVIS deployment for regional contacts.

[@DonzLockz]

@@TheTechPrepper That is great news, I didn't know about it becoming a product but I think it will be popular. I was surprised how low it really was but it obviously it's a great NVIS antenna. Keep us informed Gaston.👍

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@DonzLockz I received a lot of criticism from hams on how I [run] my NVIS antennas, but I have had incredible success making local and regional targeted contacts with this style of deployment for the last two years. It's simple, quick to deploy and very effective. This antenna is designed for this non-traditional deployment. More coming.

[@Yaegermeister163]

Any idea of the timeline to have it available in your store?

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@Yaegermeister163 I can only produce 25 at a time since they are all hand made. It may take 6 months for the public to get one as I am notifying the members on Buy Me a Coffee first. Each batch sell out in about 1-3 hours.

[@BobBob-il2ku]

Is a specific length antenna resonant/ low SWR on a whole band like 80 meters for instance or is it a specific frequency inside of the 80 meter band your building it for? Hope that made sense

[@TheTechPrepper]

The target design frequency for 80m was 3.565 MHz. This is the portion of the band that is for digital use. The lowest SWR was at 1.08:1 @ 3.730 MHz. 3.565 MHz came in at 2.3:1. This tells me that wire is too short for 3.565 MH and that we need anywhere from 6" to 12" of additional wire to make the antenna mechanically longer. The 80m band according to the ARRL band plan is 4 MHz wide (3.6 MHz to 4.0 MHz). That is a very wide band. The voice portion is technically on 75m and digital portion in on 80m. I hope this answers your question.

[@HamRadio2]

You should have asked - could have let you borrow my ABR coax with the PL259 on one end and BNC on the other. LOL @ wallyworld comment.....

[@TheTechPrepper]

You know... I've been a lone wolf for so long that it never crossed my mind to ask. I appreciate it.

[@ericlevine420]

Cholesterol bomb for breakfast 😋

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's vacation. Plenty of protein.

[@markdoyle8713]

Great content. Let me get this straight, if I call my gear I stash in my class c bunk “load out” my wife won’t call it Crap?😊

[@TheTechPrepper]

Exactly.

[@paulplack490]

Gaston, I've had ugly birdies appear on HF at campsites, caused by switching power supplies like charge controllers and voltage converters. Did you have any of that issue at Quartzfest, from your own gear or other nearby campers?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yes. The noise floor was higher (S5) than I usually have when I dry camp. There was a lot of man-made RFI even with the space I gave myself between my rig and the other rigs. My noise floor is usually around an S1 or S2.

[@paulplack490]

@@TheTechPrepper I was camping in the Utah west desert last year, having a ball on 10 meters with crazy-low noise levels, when I suddenly had S7 crap every 100 kHz on the waterfall. Turned out to be a GoalZero solar charge controller in the next campsite. I was disappointed to see even pricey name-brands have this issue.

[@ohiorivervalleyhomestead]

What was the device attached to the 12ah battery? Is that a mini charge controller?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yes, that's a portable solar charge controller. It's the Buddipole Power Mini v2. I have the original version, too. This is always in my backpack. I run it with a 10 or 20 watt Powerfilm folding solar panel when I go man portable.

[@timoconnor8791]

Did you change your call sign? I thought it was KT1RUN?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I changed it to line up with the region I'm in.

[@thebnbaldwin]

20 amps for a coffee grinder? Holy crap!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yeah, it actually puts my power meter into a vault when I get connect it inline. ;-)

[@79attaboy]

Man i wanted to make it out this year but couldnt... maybe next.

[@TheTechPrepper]

See you next year!

[@Trent28888]

The linked dipole is fine,u have it too close to ya RV which is why 80M has a high SWR but also its designed to be up higher but for the sectioons u can have them all connected and just unplug it upto the band u want

[@TheTechPrepper]

This antenna was purpose-built and designed for this height and my deployment style. The 80m section is too short based on this deliberate deployment height. Another 12" +/- or minus a few inches should fix it.

[@THESPORTINGCAMP]

Bubble Engineering, LLC 🤣😎

[@TheTechPrepper]

Bubble engineering at its finest.

[@THESPORTINGCAMP]

@@TheTechPrepper 😆😆😆 I will make the correction.

[@DXJungle]

Egypt 😂😂😂

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yep. We're anti-social bunch. Parking in Egypt suits us.

[@troylance1]

OK are we just going to skip the bush na on the table

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yeah, I stopped drinking 3-years ago. I still like the taste of beer. The Busch NA sort of tastes like beer.

[@rfengineer3]

Yagi is pronounced Yahgee

[@MrBigDave65]

Sorry dude, but the Pendleton Stanley Thermos has given you away.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I have no clue what this means.

[@adlucem9845]

The kind of people who are proud to ask the government to operate a radio are probably not going to very useful when SHTF.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I disagree. Personally, this is the only way to get the practice and training you need before stuff goes sideways.

[@abdulal-hodl8861]

I see both sides.... optimal is likely to be a mix of both.