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MikeinBaja
Last reply · posted in Computers and Gadgets
I'm a satellite guy - not a radio guy - but I need to build an outdoor antenna for NOOA broadcast reception (162.400-162.550MHZ) for a weather warning station I recently acquired.

The existing unit has a telescoping antenna and an external antenna RCA type jack. If I take the unit outside about 35' away I can lock on with no problem - but no lock where the unit needs to sit inside (or anywhere else inside).

Any recommendations for sites? Google search wasn't much help. Dimensions? Material? Any hints?

HELP!
36 Replies · 4997 views
Cham
Yes the copper pipe ones are most common, bit obtrusive for the bedroom or living room :)
If you use the 300 ohm line type the thin conductors narrow down the passband a bit and helps filter out out-of-band rf that might overload the weather radio receiver. Remember to change the dimensions slightly for the shorter wavelength compared to the ham 2m band.. I suppose one of these antennas with a good feedline would work well as a marine band antenna too...
-C.
MikeinBaja
Yes the copper pipe ones are most common, bit obtrusive for the bedroom or living room :)
If you use the 300 ohm line type the thin conductors narrow down the passband a bit and helps filter out out-of-band rf that might overload the weather radio receiver. Remember to change the dimensions slightly for the shorter wavelength compared to the ham 2m band.. I suppose one of these antennas with a good feedline would work well as a marine band antenna too...
-C.

Well, I used the on-line dimension calculator set to 162.475MHz (middle of the NOAA range) built it exactly to specs - and it didn't work worth a darn. Even tried moving it around and on top of a big ladder. The 1/4 wave ground plane (Antenna-Stein) worked great in the same spot.

Went over all the calculations again, measurements and all solder points - no joy. Plugged in the 1/4 wave using the same line and it worked just fine.

Now I'm really confused!
turbosat
Mike, did you have the j-pole grounded? I built a couple of those with 1/2" (price=OUCH) and they work very well. Mostly I made them for comparison with those ground plane antennas, all the reviews I read about them said the ground plane would beat them hands down. But I found out, mine work as well as, or better than the ground planes. I cut one for 128.000 aircraft band, and it blasts signal to my scanner! Even picks up the 155 vhf police band-range very well also. "The other one I cut stricly for 155mhz police band, it also works very well , even up to the weather radio freqs. But they have to be grounded. I pipe-clamped mine to legs of my tv tower, so the metal-to-metal contact must be enough for mine to work right.
MikeinBaja
Mike, did you have the j-pole grounded? I built a couple of those with 1/2" (price=OUCH) and they work very well. Mostly I made them for comparison with those ground plane antennas, all the reviews I read about them said the ground plane would beat them hands down. But I found out, mine work as well as, or better than the ground planes. I cut one for 128.000 aircraft band, and it blasts signal to my scanner! Even picks up the 155 vhf police band-range very well also. "The other one I cut stricly for 155mhz police band, it also works very well , even up to the weather radio freqs. But they have to be grounded. I pipe-clamped mine to legs of my tv tower, so the metal-to-metal contact must be enough for mine to work right.

Never thought about the grounding - I was just holding it up in the air with my hands.

Won't be able to test that until tomorrow.

I'll give it a try and let you know!
turbosat
I think you'll find that the grounding is key. All those on-line project webpages I saw said to fasten the copper jpole to a metal mast, and if the mast wasn't grounded, to run a wire to ground from the antenna. Mine don't have a ground wire, but the tv tower is in the ground in concrete so it must be enough.
MikeinBaja
I didn't get back to this yet & we are leaving for 8 days tomorrow - will get back on it when we return.
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
0 Replies · 2 views
osu1991
Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
2 Replies · 55 views
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Howard Simmons

Another Tulsa King spin off.🙄
dishstaller
Another Tulsa King spin off.🙄
But.....if you like Tulsa King....looks like you would probably like this as well. I don't mind spin-offs as long as they don't involve a sassy niece who moves from the big city :rolleyes:
T
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?
3 Replies · 56 views
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Juan
Not alot of dish customers any more
Foxbat
I'm not a big fan of the new layout, especially on my Apple TV. It used to look like the old Guide layout on the Hopper 3, but they changed parts of that, too.
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dishstaller
I really dislike change for the sake of change
TheRatPatrol
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
Anyone else watch this show? Any guesses as to what was in the box Gibbs gave to Abby that was on her desk? It look liked it was glowing.

I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
2132 Replies · 214683 views
Jimbo

Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
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Howard Simmons
Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
Tony as the director.🙄
Jimbo
Tony as the director.🙄
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
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dfergie
I liked this episode and a toned down Tony...
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Howard Simmons
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
Jimbo
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
I don't think Tim and Tony are that far apart in Age ...

Remember what Tony said to Tim when they first got back together ...
Tony said: I am the New Tony, Tim .... (something to that effect)

Tony has changed, he's been running his Security Business ... I'm sure he has grown up.

Give it time ... your judging the New Tony from the old Tony.

It sounds like Tim won't be around the Team much longer either.
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Movie Talk
Might be worth a watch when it comes out. Looks like typical big corp against the little guy movie BUT....there is a reason this plot type is so oft repeated, it draws audiences.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-f9OGsKHd4
1 Replies · 11 views
dishstaller
BTW, I noticed right after I posted this that someone else had already mentioned it....sorry for the duplicate thread. Still looking forward to seeing the movie.
meStevo
Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Movie Talk
If you're going try to read / listen to the book (can't recommend the audio book enough) before this comes out, I'd avoid trailers.

Trailer below, spoiling it to make sure you read the above bold message first. The book / audio book are fantastic. Go into this blind if you can IMO!




Kind of disappointed at how much they show. A lot still to see, but man, some good reveals in the book that are just served up here.
21 Replies · 715 views
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meStevo
I've seen it twice. Can't recommend the audio book enough, Ray Porter's performance is amazing and there's so much more in the book than the movie.
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Foxbat
"Project Hail Mary" should be on Prime Video starting Friday, July 3.
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K
Forgot to comment. I did watch when it first came out on MGM. I enjoyed it a lot. I think reading the book made it easier to watch. Several friends commented it was a little hard to follow.
TRG
TRG
"astrophage". I read the book but didn't see the film yet.
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Howard Simmons
"Project Hail Mary" should be on Prime Video starting Friday, July 3.
That's what I will be watching this weekend.🤗
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K
Kindle book on sale for $2.99 today at Amazon.
dishstaller
.........there's so much more in the book than the movie.
I agree. That can go for pretty much any book vs movie. Back when I was single I would read any Stephen King or John Grisham book I could get my hands on. When you read a book you make up the scenes and characters in your mind.....the movie version always disappoints.
meStevo
Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Sports Section
Schedule drops tomorrow. Mandatory mini camps in June. Hall of Fame game August 6th.
110 Replies · 1619 views
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Y
Selfish Drake Maye holds back on giving the ball to Bills unlike Jags game, gets the win on the road.
Y
Selfish Drake Maye holds back on giving the ball to Bills unlike Jags game, gets the win on the road.
A big win for the Patriots, and they are now 3-2.

Browns lose a close one with... The Jets. That is a classic Browns loss (granted, any loss is a classic one it seems). 49'ers, Vikings, and Chiefs remain undefeated. The AFC north have a three way tie at 3-2 for second place. :eek:
osu1991
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M
Hopefully nowhere near a microphone.
Y
Hopefully nowhere near a microphone.
After having experienced Gus Ferguson trying to call soccer games, I'm uncertain why NFL football analysts get hate. Even the "worst" of them are pretty good.
meStevo
Jalen Hurts out indefinitely as they treat and monitor a superficial blood clot in his leg.


View: https://x.com/RapSheet/status/2111074303185989663?s=20
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dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
· posted in TV Shows
I had quit watching this show years ago because I ended up more annoyed than entertained. Well......I'm STILL more annoyed than entertained. I DO find it interesting to see how things work behind the scenes at many businesses. What annoys me is how utterly out of touch CEOs are with the companies they run. At the end of almost every episode the head of the company is amazed at how hard the employees have to work and many times have to work around impossible guidelines set forth from headquarters.

I found this one interesting because the new CEO had big plans for this company, Muscle Maker Grill, and it looked like the stores were all pretty busy. Recent history hasn't been good to this company however. I bet the covid lockdowns were the real killer.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIhZm0qkz0o
0 Replies · 9 views