Sirio Monsoon antenna

[AudioShockwav]

If you are

Hello everyone
Well I’m finally out of the desert and just set up my radios at the new qth ( temporary location during summer as the temperature gets way too hot in the SW desert in summertime)

I haven’t purchased a new yagi yet but I did set up the Sirio monsoon . Now I’m having some issues with the setup that I can’t seem to figure out how to fix them .

I will explain below
When I first set up the monsoon at the new qth I used the only coax I had at the time which is RG8U X 100’
This worked perfectly with the original setup and at the new location. good contacts, good SWR, etc..

I purchased a 50’ section of LMR 400 (not uf) and this is where my issues started showing up.

I brought the antenna down from the temporary mast. I had it mounted on at the new location double checked all the measurements for setting the antenna up and had it set up bang on.

At first, the new coax the LMR 400 things were OK the SWR was running around 1.2 to 1.17 at the high end of the band 11m btw. The line runs straight from the antenna down to the radio with very shallow Bends at the antenna and coming into the shack. absolutely no kinks or major bends and I used extreme care and uncoiling the LMR 400 when I initially received it, laying it out straight across the ground as I uncoiled it.

It seems for the last couple of weeks I’m not getting receive coverage that I used to get. I do understand checking the Internet that the 11 m band is pretty poor right now with that being said I’ve only made a couple of contacts either mid morning or mid afternoon.

I’m getting conflicting reports from the three antenna analyzers that I have now and here they are .
MFJ226
SWR 1.17 /Z 40.2 / R40.5 loss 9.7 Db 20 ohms
MFJ 259b
SWR 1.2 R48-49 / loss 9-10 db 20 ohms
Nano VNA h
SWR 1.2 48-49 ohms / loss 11.7 Db

The only thing I actually have calibration standards for is the nano VNA. So that could be the reason why the two older MFJ meters are showing a low Ohm resistance? Gets

So i’m looking for anybody’s input because I’m about ready to put the other coax back on even though the LMR 400 checks out there’s no shorts no opens according to the multimeter. What am I missing or is it just the conditions?

Thank you

Looking at those numbers, Honesty I would trust the Nano and talk on it......
If you are basing this on DX Skip contacts, it really has been poor for days now.
Propagation was almost non existent this morning, so much so that I was able to work my brother out of the mobile almost 40 miles away with just the radio, that's how quiet the band was compared to a solid s-9+ roar of DX couple weeks ago.


73
Jeff

 

[Geoexplorer69]

If you are

Looking at those numbers, Honesty I would trust the Nano and talk on it......
If you are basing this on DX Skip contacts, it really has been poor for days now.
Propagating was almost non existent this morning, so much so that I was able to work my brother out of the mobile almost 40 miles away with just the radio, that's how quiet the band was compared to a solid s-9+ roar of DX couple weeks ago.


73
Jeff

Thanks Jeff ,
I was wondering about the bad propagation being a factor , especially since just a couple weeks ago I was making contacts all over the eastern US , as well as the midwest and Canada . a contact in Australia and the Bahamas as well .

I made only one contact yesterday in Montana . good audio report and solid signal . All on 11m LSB on My quad5n2 .

I tuned the Yaesu ft991 which is on an efhw across 11m and only pulled in marginally better results ( receive only I won't mod my Yaesu 991 ) just as a check .
cheers

 

[AudioShockwav]

Thanks Jeff ,
I was wondering about the bad propagation being a factor , especially since just a couple weeks ago I was making contacts all over the eastern US , as well as the midwest and Canada . a contact in Australia and the Bahamas as well .

I made only one contact yesterday in Montana . good audio report and solid signal . All on 11m LSB on My quad5n2 .

I tuned the Yaesu ft991 which is on an efhw across 11m and only pulled in marginally better results ( receive only I won't mod my Yaesu 991 ) just as a check .
cheers

Yes it's been like that lately , today I tried .375 for several hours from the mobile with not a single reply, even .025 am was silent.
About 10 am pacific I was just starting to hear some dx from Mexico.
Yesterday I did to talk to WR178, @DXman up in Washington for about 5 min.
He was suddenly in my receive, and abruptly left as the band moved.
It will settle it's crazy right now.

73
Jeff

 

[Geoexplorer69]

Yes it's been like that lately , today I tried .375 for several hours from the mobile with not a single reply, even .025 am was silent.
About 10 am pacific I was just starting to hear some dx from Mexico.
Yesterday I did to talk to WR178, @DXman up in Washington for about 5 min.
He was suddenly in my receive, and abruptly left as the band moved.
It will settle it's crazy right now.

73
Jeff

Yep
Well things here finally opened up just barely, mostly in the late afternoon. I made two solid contacts at about 6pm local time today all east coast.
I could hear many qso’s but with my little Anytone quad 5 v2 and maybe 40-60 w (I’ll split it and guess somewhere around 50ish W) all I could manage was two good contacts.

Maybe after I get the yagi I’ll spring for a good amp

Cheers and 73’s
Roger