Ham Radio - Building a 6 meter dipole and testing the 3D printer. 

It may be silly but I remember the meteor showers with Leonard Nimoy - Leonids November. Live long and Prosper.

A 40 meter dipole cut for the lower portion of the SSB band (7.160) will be perfectly resonate at 50.125 (7/2 λ) and possibly have a little gain to it, if it's in inverted vee configuration.

LOL! "I'm sure I packed it, but I dug around my boxes and I can't find it." That totally describes my situation.

It's obvious from what we see and the tone of your voice, you are on a very personal journey, thank you for allowing us to look over your shoulder and enjoy the experience!

The close proximity to the RV roof is interacting with the dipole. Good luck on a QSO. Keep calling or just listen. 72/73 KB8AMZ

Going to build one for wspr, Thanks for the video amazing work !!

I will have to try calling on 6m sometime. Mostly been trying FT8 lately out of Chicago,IL with 10 watts into a very similar dipole.

That's Cool Kevin!

Excellent Kevin happy you are able to make things as you need them. Let us know if you get any contacts.

Nice antenna project.... hopefully there will be a band opening soon. 73

Kevin: You print as slow as I do. It gives MUCH better prints. Excellent video. Happy Turkey Day.

That VNA response at ~46.3 looks to me more like one would expect at this freq with a dipole. Every dipole I've ever built came out long using 468, and more so when in proximity to objects. They'll lower your res freq and Z components. Maybe that's your real resonant point. The diff in ant length between ~46.3 and 50 MHz is only ~9.75". Also, the diff in SWR betweeen ~46.3 and 50 is less than the diff in SWR between 50 and ~53.3. Great video Kevin. VERY fun and interesting to watch the travels. Thanks

I just saw an ad for a Black Friday deal on a Creality3D Ender printer for $159. I may have to order a 3D printer for my upcoming birthday.

Great video Kevin!! Hey if you are heading to quartzsite you might think about picking up a bicycle to get around on while you are there (and anywhere you park your RV). Quartzsite covers a pretty big area and a bicycle would save your legs! 73, N7KBC

Good job.

Hi Kevin, Nice antenna build. Hope you get an opening and make some contacts. 73 WB3BJU

Thanks for the video! Here are a few observations. 1) PLA is not the best material for long usage outdoor. I would recommend to paint it (easy solution) or to print the model with ABS (which would be not easy since apparently your printer doesn't have a heated build chamber). 2) I see you decided to connect symmetric antenna with asymmetric feeder without using a balun. This can cause all sorts of weird effects with SWR, like those described in the video. Did you consider to use a symmetric feeder or a balun? 3) Not all countries have 6 meters band. E.g. in Russia we don't have 6, 4 and 1.4 meter bands. Are there other band which would work with meteor showers?

Great video, I like 6 metres (used it a LOT in the army), but no one ever seems to want to use it, which is a shame.....Paul 👍🏻

How does the plastic hold up to the uv. I have an old Avanti 174 or Sigma 4 that the hoop stabilizer brackets broke and just wondering if it possibly work for long term use?

Try installing a common mode choke.

I was wondering what happened to the printer. Happy Thanksgiving!

Oct 2021: Great video. Wow, two for one! How is your 3D printer holding up? Am thinking about getting similar printer for economical hobbyist projects. Thanks.

Check for high noise level in the near 50 Mc range. Might be throwing the vna off because it is so much more sensitive than the swr bridge in the radio. Clibration wouldn't be affected as the antenna isn't connected during cal. Err, I don't think.

Thanks this was very helpful. Can you please clarify where to make the physical measurements of the legs? Do you measue from the drill holes where the legs attach to the end of each leg, or from the center coax connector to the end of each leg?

Hi Kevin- Good to see the 3d printer in action. It was your early videos about the Monoprice Mini that made me decide I would be getting into 3D printing but I see you have moved on to anither model. Could you let us know what it is and why you made the change? Thanks Jeremy

Its very cool that you were able to make your center insulator. Did you make the program or did you find it online?

Great video :) One silly point...it's lee-oh-nid, not lee-noid ;)

Hey Kevin, thanks for the video. What was that you were running on the laptop at the start of the video??

Hello, nice video. Where to you measure each leg from? the loop/knot?

just getting started in my ham radio hobby; so here's a really dumb question. Why is the 1/2 wave 6m antenna 4.67' each side and not 4.92' (6x3.28/4=4.92) is there a fudge factor Im missing?

Yo Kevin!: Great video! Shame you didn't raise anyone. You might have been heard but didn't hear the reply. Great video of the printer. Way to go!

Radio newbe here. Tightening the wire in the center of the dipole with a knot, is that ok for these radiofrequencies?

Great video Kevin! You're awesome. 73

I'll listen for you on the bands. I have a 6M copper pipe j-pole up. Other than local 6 meter club, it has been quiet on 6.

How did the 3d printer dipole support work out being in the sun?

Damn!why haven't I made one . Where's that wire!

I'll aim the beam your way Kevin... KX4EZ