I think both Gary and Forrest are correct. Now that I think a bit more clearly, someone told me that the top of our spire is ~150 ft and the new tower to our south is 200 ft. Still, 150 ft ain't too shabby. I also failed to mention that the CEO of DX Engineering, Tim Duffy K3LR, made us a special price for the new antenna. He lived in Edmond for a few years while working for a cell company and suffered a close encounter of the Tornadic kind. He naturally became interested in severe weather and, a few years ago, I gave both him and his son and special VIP tour of the NWC. Tim was impressed and grateful to us for the tour. He later gave a marvelous talk about his world-class contest station to the OUARC and later was very generous to the Oklahoma DX Association. I contacted him about this new antennas, and nice deal ensued. In the next few days, I'm going to send him a picture of the antenna on the NWC and thank him again for his help. 73, Kim N5OP On Wed, Jun 6, 2018 at 9:59 PM, Forrest Mitchell - NOAA Federal < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > I believe the new tower to the SW of the NWC is a 200 footer, hence the > light on top. It is, indeed, taller than the top of the NWC tower, as > viewed from a distance, so we are still within guidelines. > > Forrest Mitchell / KB5FOL > *Observations Program Leader* > > NOAA/National Weather Service > Oklahoma City / Norman Weather Forecast Office > 120 David L Boren Blvd, Suite 2400 > <https://maps.google.com/?q=120+David+L+Boren+Blvd,+Suite+2400+Norman,+OK+73072+405&entry=gmail&source=g> > Norman, OK 73072 > <https://maps.google.com/?q=120+David+L+Boren+Blvd,+Suite+2400+Norman,+OK+73072+405&entry=gmail&source=g> > 405 > <https://maps.google.com/?q=120+David+L+Boren+Blvd,+Suite+2400+Norman,+OK+73072+405&entry=gmail&source=g> > -325-3816 > > On Wed, Jun 6, 2018 at 9:47 PM, Gary Skaggs <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> Kim, >> >> Thanks for the blow-by-blow. >> >> I will say, however, that IMO the antenna sits at 190 feet. Any higher, >> and it should be lighted. I'll stick with the 190 number until someone >> determines "official ground level" of the antenna structure, and then >> measures it with steel tape. Anything else is mere speculation, AFAIAC. >> >> Good DX to all, and to all a good night. >> >> Gary >> >> >> On Wed, Jun 6, 2018 at 4:56 PM, Kim Elmore <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >>> The new HF antenna atop the NWC is now installed! Installation was >>> handled by Top Hand Tower, the same company that installed the SteppIR some >>> years ago. >>> >>> We took precautions during the building and installation to insure that >>> we won;t have to do this again for a long, long time. The antenna itself is >>> a DXEngineering Skyhawk 3X10 antenna, with 4 elements on 10 m, and three >>> each on 15 m and 20 m. Each element is riveted together, so there are no >>> hose clamps to fail. Each element has a short length of sash cord in each >>> end secured with urethane glue; these act to dampen any vibrations in the >>> elements that may be excited by the wind. Every piece of threaded hardware >>> is secured by medium strength (blue) thread locker, including the clamps on >>> the rotator. The rotator mast clamp bolts had come loose due to vibration; >>> they will not do so now with the thread locker. The rotator had a new Grade >>> 8 mast pin installed because the loose mast clamp hardware allowed enough >>> play for the SteppIR antenna to break the old mast pin. >>> >>> The antenna is an OWA (Optimized Wide-band Antenna) yagi design that >>> should be relatively flat across all three bands. With an auto tuner, it >>> can be used as a non-directional antenna on 17 m and 12 m and possibly 30 >>> m. It has been tested and, using the reflectometer indication on the >>> IC-7000 radio we have in the station, the match is good across all of 10 m >>> and 15 m, but the SWR runs a bit high on 20 m with about 1.5:1 on 14 MHz >>> and 2.5:1 at 14.35 MHz. Given that the match is good on 10 and 15, the >>> antenna is assembled correctly. It would be very difficult to assemble it >>> incorrectly due to its construction, but I suppose it could be done with >>> enough ingenuity. I, along with Jorge Duartes, W5/HJ3JDG, assembled the >>> antenna and neither of us are quite ingenuous enough to figure out how to >>> screw it up. The reflectometers in HF radios are notoriously inaccurate >>> (the one in my TenTec Orion II isn't very good, either, though the one in >>> my venerable TS-930S is quite accurate) and I suspect that is the case >>> here: the antenna is likely better than it looks via the display on 20 m >>> though the IC-7000 display. However, the club owns an auto tuner that is... >>> Somewhere. We will find it, install it, and worry no more about such >>> issues. >>> >>> It's important to recognize that this station would not exist without >>> Doug Forsyth's (WX5DF) foresight, technical support from Ken Brown, N5KUK, >>> support from the University of Oklahoma, and support form the National >>> Severe Storms Laboratory. An antenna of this quality, up 200 ft, driven by >>> a rig as capable is the IC-7000 is an unusually good asset for any club >>> station and a rare treat for anyone interested in HF operating. >>> >>> Now, go get on the air! >>> >>> 73, >>> >>> Kim Elmore N5OP >>> OUARC Faculty Advisor >>> -- >>> >>> Kim Elmore, Ph.D. (Adj. Assoc. Prof., OU School of Meteorology, CCM, PP >>> SEL/MEL/Glider, UAS, N5OP, 2nd Class Radiotelegraph, GROL) >>> >>> *“The weather is never wrong.” – Pam Wilson* >>> >> >> > -- Kim Elmore, Ph.D. (Adj. Assoc. Prof., OU School of Meteorology, CCM, PP SEL/MEL/Glider, UAS, N5OP, 2nd Class Radiotelegraph, GROL) *“The weather is never wrong.” – Pam Wilson*