More InnovAntennas Fun

Well,

You may remember my sharing an instruction sheet from an InovAntennas purchase back here and basically explaining how poor I though the instructions were. Well, here's another excellent example:

So, credit where credit is due - this time I didn't actually have any missing parts for the antenna itself; however I did have some spare bits for the antenna (some extra end caps and element clamps) and unfortunately the antenna to boom mounting plate and associated u-bolts are missing completely.

But lets take a look at the instructions:

1. The title tells me it's a 1.4m antenna; I assume that's the boom length, but, oh no, the boom is 1.7m long.
2. The bottom of the page tells me the boom is 1.7m long - so which is it? Let's get a tape measure and check.
3. The bottom of the page also also tells me that "guy and supports are supplied" - I don't think so.
4. So let's look at the shortest element - there are three numbers 1705mm, 1405mm and 903mm. So I think one of these (the 1705) is the distance from the boom end, the 903 is the element dimension - no idea what the 1405mm is - perhaps this is for the 1.4m antenna mentioned in the title that I haven't got? If that 1703 is the distance from the boom end then the first element is nearly a foot from the boom start - that can't be right either.
5. Then we have the added information "X-POL SIZES"; you have to assume this is for a cross polarized variant perhaps?

But once again, no actual information on which bolts or other bits to use where. One of the driven element clamps is metal - now I assume that's not at the end the feedpoint is and it seems the feed is at the back. I assume I need a coax balun near the feedpoint but that's clearly guesswork as there is no information on that aspect at all.

Local conditions.

6&4M Antenna and other Musings

Well,

I decided a while ago to remove the large 6/4M combined antenna I have - it's very big and heavy:

So, I decided a while ago to replace the 6/4M antenna with a 3 + 3 ele version that we originally bought for the UK ACs; this antenna had very little front to back so I wasn't happy with it for home. I've now decided to purchase the 4 + 4 ele version. All these antennas are from Innovantennas.

Now, I've bought quite a few antennas from them in my time - perhaps 10 or more. Every single one has had either no manual (sent by email normally), missing parts, the wrong parts or even one had the boom drilled incorrectly. This 4 + 4 ele is a bit better, it only had one broken pipe clamp. The instructions you receive from InnovAntennas are poor at best, but this example has to be the worst yet; take a look:

Now, there's something scribbled in the top right that looks like "ADD over Cap" - no idea what that means.

There's a box drawn on the 4M driven element and then scribbled out.

There's a box drawn on the 6M driven element with a scrawl that says "Plate oh tend Point" (I think this is plate at feed point) so we conclude that this was first scrawled on the 4M driven element and then crossed out.

Nothing to tell me which bolts to use where or anything resembling how to put it together.

Great antennas - rubbish quality control and instructions!

I've also continued the theme of 'scope obsession by making a circuit from W2AEW. This is a means of converting a composite video output (from say a camera) and displaying it on a 'scope screen by using the X, Y and Z inputs:

My build looks like this:

and it works a treat!

When Miss Luna Cat rolls on her back like this in front of Elmo Dog, this is interpreted, in human speak, as "thank God it's spring".

Local conditions.