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My horizontal M104C and V58 with no ground plane radials installed is still up and surviving. I think the 7 guy wires do a good job of covering the angles. The Yaesu G-800DXA rotor is working well too. The horizontal M104C gets the job done but I find I rarely use the V58 and there are some locals (20-30 miles) here where I would really like to have a vertical beam to pick them up better. The V58 picks up too much noise to the east (90 degrees from where the locals are located from me) and the horizontal M104C doesn't get along well with these local stations.

Looking at the assembly instructions for the Maco Shooting Star (4 horizontal, 4 vertical elements and a reflecting wire), it seems like I should be able to grab some suitable aluminum tubing to use for the vertical elements, a gamma match, some fiberglass rods and wire for the reflector and basically turn my M104C into a Shooting Star and forego installing the V58 on this same mast. I may find another part of the property to stick up the V58 if I decided to do so in the future. I have a feeling that once I start adding up the cost for the individual bits needed to do this, it'd be more money that just buying a brand new Shooting Star.

Or maybe I can keep an eye out for someone selling a used M104C, or a Moonraker IV in someone's attic or a Shooting Star that's looking for a new home. Or maybe just leave it all alone. But that's really not like me at all. I do love to futz about and experiment.

The birds are still hanging out of the elements. Good thing we don't have any hefty birds making themselves at home on them.

[ATTACH=full]71792[/ATTACH]

<blockquote data-quote="TimmyTheTorch" data-source="post: 853113" data-attributes="member: 64271">My horizontal M104C and V58 with no ground plane radials installed is still up and surviving. I think the 7 guy wires do a good job of covering the angles. The Yaesu G-800DXA rotor is working well too. The horizontal M104C gets the job done but I find I rarely use the V58 and there are some locals (20-30 miles) here where I would really like to have a vertical beam to pick them up better.&nbsp; The V58 picks up too much noise to the east (90 degrees from where the locals are located from me) and the horizontal M104C doesn&#039;t get along well with these local stations.Looking at the assembly instructions for the Maco Shooting Star (4 horizontal, 4 vertical elements and a reflecting wire), it seems like I should be able to grab some suitable aluminum tubing to use for the vertical elements, a gamma match, some fiberglass rods and wire for the reflector and basically turn my M104C into a Shooting Star and forego installing the V58 on this same mast. I may find another part of the property to stick up the V58 if I decided to do so in the future. I have a feeling that once I start adding up the cost for the individual bits needed to do this, it&#039;d be more money that just buying a brand new Shooting Star.Or maybe I can keep an eye out for someone selling a used M104C, or a Moonraker IV in someone&#039;s attic or a Shooting Star that&#039;s looking for a new home. Or maybe just leave it all alone. But that&#039;s really not like me at all. I do love to futz about and experiment.The birds are still hanging out of the elements. Good thing we don&#039;t have any hefty birds making themselves at home on them.[ATTACH=full]71792[/ATTACH]</blockquote>

[QUOTE="TimmyTheTorch, post: 853113, member: 64271"] My horizontal M104C and V58 with no ground plane radials installed is still up and surviving. I think the 7 guy wires do a good job of covering the angles. The Yaesu G-800DXA rotor is working well too. The horizontal M104C gets the job done but I find I rarely use the V58 and there are some locals (20-30 miles) here where I would really like to have a vertical beam to pick them up better. The V58 picks up too much noise to the east (90 degrees from where the locals are located from me) and the horizontal M104C doesn't get along well with these local stations. Looking at the assembly instructions for the Maco Shooting Star (4 horizontal, 4 vertical elements and a reflecting wire), it seems like I should be able to grab some suitable aluminum tubing to use for the vertical elements, a gamma match, some fiberglass rods and wire for the reflector and basically turn my M104C into a Shooting Star and forego installing the V58 on this same mast. I may find another part of the property to stick up the V58 if I decided to do so in the future. I have a feeling that once I start adding up the cost for the individual bits needed to do this, it'd be more money that just buying a brand new Shooting Star. Or maybe I can keep an eye out for someone selling a used M104C, or a Moonraker IV in someone's attic or a Shooting Star that's looking for a new home. Or maybe just leave it all alone. But that's really not like me at all. I do love to futz about and experiment. The birds are still hanging out of the elements. Good thing we don't have any hefty birds making themselves at home on them. [ATTACH type="full" alt="M104C_V58.jpg"]71792[/ATTACH] [/QUOTE]

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