Bamboo as antenna parts and supports
cybr...@gmail.com
taking over his and his neighbors yards. Told me to cut down all I
want. Had planned to use it for bean poles and plant supports, then
it occurred to me: quads, moxons, spiderwebs -- this stuff is really
strong and stiff. Some canes are 12-16 feet long.
Anybody have experience with bamboo, especially used as semi-permanent
end supports for dipoles and inverted vs?
TNX
Paul KB1GEJ
Eternal September Newsgroups
news:629fcb62-7e51-4c8d...@d33g2000vbu.googlegroups.com...
How long did it take to grow to 12 - 16 feet long? That would be great to
use on a hex beam. How flexible is the bamboo?
amdx
I used some bamboo for a Flag antenna about 10 years ago, I prepped and
applied an epoxy paint to the bamboo and after 5 years I needed to replace
it.
The next time I used fiberglas pipe I got on Ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/12-Military-Fiberglass-Mast-Poles-Great-for-Antenna-WOW_W0QQitemZ110517469271QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item19bb5ac057
Here's a picture of the Flag antenna with Fiberglass poles.
http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp37/Qmavam/P1010128.jpg
Mike
Roy Lewallen
Bamboo used to be very commonly used for quad spreaders. I think the
practice was to put spar varnish on them to make them last. I'll bet you
could get some tips from an old Handbook, say '70s and earlier.
Roy Lewallen, W7EL
JIMMIE
Ive built a few antennas using bamboo including a 5/8th CB antenna
that was up for at least 10 years. All did not do so well. Painting
before the wood had a chance to thoroughly cure was a problem as a
matter of fact it was worse than not painting them at all.
Jimmie
cybr...@gmail.com
<No...@ThisAddress.Org> wrote:
> <cybri...@gmail.com> wrote in message
Dunno how long it took to grow, but I'm told you can see growth in a
day's time. Bamboo is some kind of giant grass and comes in hundreds
of varieties. It is fairly stiff for the thickness and weight.
cybr...@gmail.com
Yeah, I was thinking about a 17-15-12-10 quad, or maybe a Moxon. I'm
too fickle about antennae to worry about them rotting! :-)
kc9pbu
Bamboo is making a resurgence. Not only might you find ideas in older
books, but newer ones as well. ARRL's 2008 "Simple and Fun Antennas
for Hams" details the use of bamboo for a wire antenna. On page 16 of
Chapter five, the author recommends using "vinyl electrical tape to
secure the wire to bamboo to make antenna elements."
In that article they are using it as a mast in an inverted-L wire
antenna. I could imagine using bamboo as spreaders for a folded
dipole, or as supports for a yagi or loop and just attaching wire to
the bamboo to create elements. Using a saw to create a notch in the
end of the bamboo would make it great for running wire across the
ends.
I wonder what the maximum support length for a piece of bamboo would
be? I would also be interested to see if someone knows of a way to
jigsaw the pieces properly and maybe use hose clamps to create
sections longer than 12 feet.
KC9PBU
Works Cited
Hutchinson, Chuck, and Dean Straw. Simple and Fun Antennas for Hams.
N.p.: The
American Radio Relay League, Inc, 2008. Print.
Wayne
<cybr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:629fcb62-7e51-4c8d...@d33g2000vbu.googlegroups.com...
Yep. Years ago CQ magazine had an article about a $4 2 element 15 meter
beam made from bamboo. Of course, bamboo fishing poles were about $0.25
each back then. The boom was made from 2 1x2 wood screwed together, and
there were 6 foot long 1x2 boards at each end of the boom for element
supports.
Aluminum foil was laid out on the ground and the pole was placed on top and
wrapped with the foil. Electrical tape wraps between bamboo joints kept it
in place. Electrical connections were via hose clamps on the butt ends of
the bamboo poles.
The elements were mounted on the boom/cross supports via screw-in supports
intended for routing 300 ohm tv cable. Open the eye of the support, and pop
out the cable centering insulator, screw it into the boom end supports, put
the element in place and crimp down the eye on the element.
Works great, and doesn't look too bad. However, it may not pass the
neighborhood popularity test.
cybr...@gmail.com
> I would also be interested to see if someone knows of a way to
> jigsaw the pieces properly and maybe use hose clamps to create
> sections longer than 12 feet.
My thought exactly. Maybe some kind of scarf joint or other and hose
clamps. How about multiple (3?) canes with butt/scarf joints
staggered along the length? Dowels maybe?
JIMMIE
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_MY_P_F/0_my_photographs_hong_kong_-_bamboo_scaffolding_hy17.jpg
Jimmie
Gerald Simonowits
<a4ac1ba8-459c-44e3...@y14g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>,
"cybr...@gmail.com" <cybr...@gmail.com> wrote:
FYI, bamboo is a weed and grows like all heck!
John Ferrell
>>
>> Bamboo is making a resurgence. Not only might you find ideas in older
>> books, but newer ones as well. ARRL's 2008 "Simple and Fun Antennas
>> for Hams" details the use of bamboo for a wire antenna. On page 16 of
>> Chapter five, the author recommends using "vinyl electrical tape to
>> secure the wire to bamboo to make antenna elements."
>>
>> In that article they are using it as a mast in an inverted-L wire
>> antenna. I could imagine using bamboo as spreaders for a folded
>> dipole, or as supports for a yagi or loop and just attaching wire to
>> the bamboo to create elements. Using a saw to create a notch in the
>> end of the bamboo would make it great for running wire across the
>> ends.
>>
>> I wonder what the maximum support length for a piece of bamboo would
>> be? I would also be interested to see if someone knows of a way to
>> jigsaw the pieces properly and maybe use hose clamps to create
>> sections longer than 12 feet.
>>
>> KC9PBU
>>
>> Works Cited
>> Hutchinson, Chuck, and Dean Straw. Simple and Fun Antennas for Hams.
>> N.p.: The
>> American Radio Relay League, Inc, 2008. Print.
>
>http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_MY_P_F/0_my_photographs_hong_kong_-_bamboo_scaffolding_hy17.jpg
>
>Jimmie
Post made a good Slide Rule in the 1950's from Bamboo. I still prefer
my Dietzgen though.
I wonder if it could be cultivated in North Carolina?
John Ferrell W8CCW
Richard Clark
<jferr...@triad.rr.com> wrote:
>I wonder if it could be cultivated in North Carolina?
Hi John,
More's the problem of getting rid of it if it becomes a nuisance.
It probably will if you pick the wrong specie. Bamboo propagates
(imagine, talking about plants and still being "on topic") through
the roots and those roots quickly propagate far and wide. You either
have to put in deep root barriers, or have neighbors that like a
living fence (which might be another problem through CCRs). Bamboo
generally likes wet (read soggy) soil.
73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC
Wayne
"John Ferrell" <jferr...@triad.rr.com> wrote in message
news:78l3s512e6gjhtjur...@4ax.com...
only way to go :)
heh heh
--Wayne
Ralph Mowery
> John Ferrell W8CCW
I don't know about cultivated, but in the mid part of NC it will grow like
the weed it is. If planted, you may have trouble getting rid of it.
cybr...@gmail.com
wrote:
> "John Ferrell" <jferrel...@triad.rr.com> wrote in message
might crowd out the kudzu ;^)
Richard Clark
wrote:
>>>
>>>Jimmie
>> Bamboo is a good resource. On the other end of the scale I recall that
>> Post made a good Slide Rule in the 1950's from Bamboo. I still prefer
>> my Dietzgen though.
>>
>Another Dietzgen head? Probably drink chardonnay also <snort> Post is the
>only way to go :)
>heh heh
>--Wayne
K&E, then later a 5" circular Pickett for use at the bench.
Registered User
wrote:
>On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:00:45 -0400, John Ferrell
><jferr...@triad.rr.com> wrote:
>
>>I wonder if it could be cultivated in North Carolina?
>
>Hi John,
>
>More's the problem of getting rid of it if it becomes a nuisance.
>
>It probably will if you pick the wrong specie. Bamboo propagates
>(imagine, talking about plants and still being "on topic") through
>the roots and those roots quickly propagate far and wide.
There are two major types of bamboo. Richard's description matches the
running type. The clumping type is not highly invasive and its spread
is easy to control.
>You either
>have to put in deep root barriers, or have neighbors that like a
>living fence (which might be another problem through CCRs). Bamboo
>generally likes wet (read soggy) soil.
>
According to the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service
- quote -
Bamboo grows best in a fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic
matter.
- end quote -
Half inch diameter schedule 40 PVC tubing might be a better choice for
a framework than bamboo canes. Through the years I have built several
multiband VK-parasols using PVC tubing. The Oct 1984 issue of 73
descibes the VK-parasol and provides the appropriate formulas.
Dave Platt
John Ferrell <jferr...@triad.rr.com> wrote:
>Bamboo is a good resource. On the other end of the scale I recall that
>Post made a good Slide Rule in the 1950's from Bamboo. I still prefer
>my Dietzgen though.
Yes, those were good rules... although they were actually manufactured
by Hemmi in Japan, and imported and sold here in the U.S. by Post.
The Post Versalog 1460 was one of the best (and best-known) of these
high-end 10" rules.
Dietzgen tended to use mahogany, although they did have a bamboo
version of their high-end "microglide" 1734 rule. The Dietzgen rules
were also very nice... if I recall correctly my good high-school
log-log rule was a Dietzgen.
--
Dave Platt <dpl...@radagast.org> AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!
JIMMIE
I always thought that if I got really POed at someone I would plant
kudzu and bamboo in their yard.
Jimmie
tom
I compromised with one of each (K&E and Post) and an HP-45.
tom
K0TAR
Jeff Liebermann
wrote:
>K&E, then later a 5" circular Pickett for use at the bench.
>Richard Clark, KB7QHC
Agreed. K&E was the best. Part of my collection:
<http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/slide-rule/slides/slide-rule.html>
The yellow slide rule is an aluminum Pickett and Echel "Synchro
Scale". The lower K&E is mahogany laminate.
I never really liked the bamboo or mahogany slide rules. I don't
recall the problem, but when I eventually tried an all plastic K&E, I
declared it the winner. I also couldn't get use to the circular
variety, mostly because it didn't fit in my pocket.
I've never built a quad antenna, but my uninformed and never humble
opinion is that fiberglass rod or tubing looks like the best:
<http://www.mgs4u.com/fiberglass-cubical-quad-spreaders.htm>
<http://www.mgs4u.com/fiberglass-tube-rod.htm>
However, if the bamboo is free, then it's a very suitable 2nd best.
--
Jeff Liebermann je...@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
Michael Coslo
>
> I never really liked the bamboo or mahogany slide rules.
I heard they worked really well for log functions.
- 73 de Mike N3LI -
Jeff Liebermann
wrote:
>Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>> I never really liked the bamboo or mahogany slide rules.
>I heard they worked really well for log functions.
Yes, and if you plant them in the ground, they grow square roots.
--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558
# http://802.11junk.com je...@cruzio.com
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS