10m delta loop antenna?

Had a long chat with 9M2AU yesterday about 10m, antenna tuner and antenna. He suggested that I should look into a delta loop antenna design. It has simple and easy to assemble and to source for the parts and it has gain too. Since I'm at my base at that time, I fired up my Safari browser and look for the delta loop antenna using google and found few interesting websites that I've already bookmarked. As said, it looks really simple .. and no antenna tuner is required. To find the overall length of the loop, just follow the following equation:

length = ( 1005 / centre operating frequency  ft ) * velocity factor

e.g.: for 1

0m, overall length = ( 1005/28.450 ) * 0.75  = around 26.3ft 

Since it is a delta loop (triangle), divide the final length by 3 to get the equal length of each side.

Sample delta loop found in the following website (requires 4:1 balun):

H5ANX Mk4 Delta Loop

How to brew a 4:1 air-wound current balun? Here is the instruction found in this website (PA3CNJ).

This air-core balun is wound using the following components :

• 40mm diameter grey PVC pipe with a length of 9.5cm

• 2 endcaps 40mm PVC

• Simple zip cord (multi-stranded core insulated wire)

• 8 turns bifilar wound

• 2 banana type chassis connectors

• 1 SO239 socket

Terminals B and C are wired to the banana chassis connectors for hooking up the feedline. The SO239 terminal center pin is wired to C and it's shield to D. Make sure to connect D and A together. As can be seen on the image at the top of this page, the wiring enters the PVC pipe and all connections are made internally. In my case - since I am using the balun inside - I did not glue the endcaps to the pipe but used a couple little screws instead. This way the balun is easy to service should the need arise.

NOTE: Let give the credit where it dues, the above instruction was originally taken from H5ANX design.

There are some other delta loop designs that do not require balun too. GOOGLE is your friend!

Found another one:

Another unsuccessful 10m Dxing :(

Went back to my parents house and trying to monitor the 10m .. but I guess the propagation was not that good at Muar on Saturday evening .. tho' I could hear audio coming out at around 18:00hr MYT, but it was so weak. Anyway, I was using long wire antenna and somehow, ignoring that I have my Buddistick with me .. argh! 

Anyway, some photos from the back of my parents house

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It has been a long time I wanted to modify my Triton. Last week, I received a call from a friend of mine who said that the custom made bumper and sidestep for Triton are available from Ah Lau Bar/Jalan Empat Chan Sow Lin  .. So, here are the photos after the installation ..

I choose not to install the jerry can holder and tyre holder .. so bare minimum .. yet to get the towing ball/shackle or whatamachalit!

Photo from side:

Side step

Standard price list:

Saw this SJ, fully dressed with black steel ..

  

More photos from our new house ..

New photos from our new house:

1. Neighbour has repainted their whole house, it is no more a kindergarten now.

2. The sofa set (3+2+1) and the L shape sofa finally delivered. They look too big for our living room now. Saw them a bit small in the showroom.. most probably due to massive showroom with lot of other sofas.

3. And here is my home office, the wall cabinets are all set, the table is already in place. Yet to get the extra stuff in though.

4. My eldest daughter's room with Ikea furniture.

Building my home office

I'm in the midst of building my ultimate home office right now. I went to Ikea numerous times to get an idea what should be in my home office and finally, I've made up my mind. As per my previous post, I've downloaded an Ikea Office Planner, though not complete with all furniture available from Ikea, but at least it gave me an idea on how the final set should look like.

Anyway, went to Ikea last Friday night and came back with:

1. 1 Galant corner table set
   
2. 2 Effektiv wall cabinets & doors
3. 2 Mikael drawers

Total damages so far: RM1820

What left but needed (yes, another trip to Ikea) are:

1. Billy bookcase with glass door (black/brown with white frame for the door??) 
   
2. A curved deskpad (optional, might leave this out)
   
3. Signum cable management tray
   
4. Summera pull out keyboard tray
   
5. Karsten swivel chair 
   

Expected damages for the above, another RM RM1000++.

Started to assemble the cabinets and drawers today and did not manage to finish them yet. Need to go back to the house again to finish off where I left today and hopefully I could start moving my other stuffs bit by bit. 

Last but not least, and most probably will be an extreme combination but will see how it goes .. I'v chosen a black & white combination .. Will update with photos when done!

House is 95% ready to be occupied!

From the above, to:



Finally, after almost four months, the house is now ALMOST ready to be occupied. What we have done so far are:

1. Extended our wet kitchen to the side of the house.
2. Extended the porch to the front.
3. Replaced the tiles for the porch to a much better looking IMHO.
4. Knocked down the downstair's toilet/bathroom and moved it to the side of the house.
5. Extended the small room downstair and change it to be my office and radio shack.
6. Put in a rustic looking kitchen cabinet made of hardwood.
7. Windows & doors grills, for whatever reason, we've decided to have the grills.

Things to do:

1. Furnish the house with furniture , we've none for our living room for now.
2. Bring all whatever furniture we have in our current house to the new house.
3. Furnish the bedrooms and my office, they need new stuff in there .. IKEA anyone :)

4. Curtains!
5. Change the gate to auto-gate.
6. Phone line & broadband, can't work w/o them (oh I've 3G though :)

7. Have a MOVE-IN DATE!!! We still have not decided on when we are going to move in :)

Here is where my new home-office going to be:

 

and this it how it will look with IKEA furniture hopefully:

MFJ-259B bought!

Just an update, finally, bought an MFJ-259B from US and have it delivered to my friend's apartment in the US and have a friend of his to bring it back home. Thanks Nik & Aaron! Operational wise, it is so easy to work it out .. and I thought, hey, is my investment worth it? :) Anyway .. worth every single sen of it .. and as per my previous blog, finally bought it from R & L Electronics for US$259 inclusive delivery. So much cheaper compared if I'm getting it from the UK.