Justin Ruth is live tunning the body supper penetrator withbdx1custom matching network...and cap hat

[00:00:01]So whenever the antennas got hit by lightning a while back take down.

[00:00:10]So I completely redid and built my own matching network.

[00:00:17]Well, I just built it from scratch. You know, I've been doing antennas for been around this stuff forever. So I built that out of copper, which completely changes the characteristics of already see has made it. It's even got a very unique bandwidth. I'm I'm seeing here. And the antenna is wanting to be much much longer than it initially was significantly, which may be of a concern, but as going to run back up there. We're going to take it back off. I have a system in which I do it. It's 104°.

[00:01:08]We're going to see what happens.

[00:01:11]Starting to think that starting to think I'm probably the way I do this to get a little bit in here. We're going to I got the Stardust up here for backup.

[00:01:52]We'll put it up. We'll set the Starduster at 102.6 106 on the ground radial.

[00:02:02]If we can't get the [ __ ] to to lay down, I need her to lay down pretty good here.

[00:02:10]He's really high with this network. And I'll show you what we do.

[00:02:19]I have my own system here and how I do this.

[00:02:26]Just check this out.

[00:02:31]Like I said, it's 104 None of the dows been cracked. I've replaced all the center conductor, all soldered. The SR239 conductor looks like brand new, but I didn't change it.

[00:03:01]I just put new wire in the inside. I built all new network.

[00:03:07]I use copper on the matching network flat strap.

[00:03:14]Trying to see if I could possibly make the antenna perform better.

[00:03:21]Right now it's got phenomenal receive, but it ain't tuning right.

[00:03:30]or we're going to see here. All right. So, I got a way I do all this my own way.

[00:04:06]Now, we may not get this right. It might have redo the network. I'm not going to do that tonight.

[00:04:27]Sorry.

[00:04:46]That's a good sign.

[00:04:56]different.

[00:05:06]It looks like this antenna is going to turn out really long.

[00:05:31]But I just move the antenna up.

[00:05:35]Just like that.

[00:05:38]We're going to reset.

[00:05:51]We'll put it back up.

[00:05:55]We'll go see what's up and we'll make adjustments from there. As long as we're bringing resonance down, the antenna is tuning.

[00:06:04]So, because we changed the matching network, we have a much wider range of tuning, which is may make the antenna more broadband.

[00:06:31]I'm going to turn the network towards you guys so you all can see it.

[00:06:43]There's the network towards you guys.

[00:06:46]You can see it's all copper.

[00:07:13]and we'll go see what the characteristics change is here.

[00:07:24]Way I do this is I have a half strap.

[00:07:28]This is allows me to do this fast so I don't have to tighten everything.

[00:07:35]That half strap pretty much holds the antenna.

[00:08:00]Like I said, I'm not going to go real tight because I'm sure I'll have to make a final adjustment. So, I'm going to turn it, stab the antenna.

[00:08:15]Make sure we're good and tight.

[00:08:28]Now we're just run it up for test.

[00:09:01]It's always always taking it to the same point to test from every time.

[00:09:14]Got that roll of coax on the ground. I don't really like that.

[00:09:47]All right.

[00:10:13]I'm going to zoom in on the matching network I built.

[00:10:17]I'm going to go in and see what it looks like.

[00:10:21]Starting to think we're going to have to redo the network, but we'll see.

[00:10:25]I know it's going to be real close.

[00:10:29]Oh god. Well, I got it kind of turned away from you.

[00:10:40]I built all that matching network, all that. You see all that strap? Come on, antenna.

[00:10:49]Come on.

[00:10:55]Are you That's just strange. Well, that's fine.

[00:11:04]It wants to be a prick and I'm too hot to argue with it right now. So, hold on a second. My hand. I'm so soaked I can't touch it.

[00:11:26]son.

[00:17:10]All right, guys. So, here's what we got to do. I just went in there and put it on the analyzer and ran through it off.

[00:17:30]We've got to take the matching network off and we got to space it narrower.

[00:17:35]We have the spacing too far away, which is causing the lowest SWR to be 1.6 at its resonant valley no matter what we do.

[00:17:48]Uh, and that's because I have the spacing too far freaking wide. Uh, it's too hot. So, to just get us on air with a good resonant antenna here, we're going to go back with the Starduster.

[00:18:01]This won't take but 20 minutes and it'll be like a one tune deal and it'll be done. So, what I'm saying is the flat strap that you see on my network, it's got a spacing in it. I've got the spacing like an eighth inch too wide, which is causing the tuning valley to be out of resonant. Well, I just guessed when I made it, and I've got it off. So, I've got to rebuild the matching network. In doing so, I'm going to use round rod, go back with the exact same stuff that they had factory that got blown up by the lightning, and we're going to build it factory because it's got a very like very nice wide bandwidth, but its lowest valley is 16.

[00:18:56]That's not any good.

[00:19:05]So, I'm going to run up here real quick.

[00:19:09]Make sure y'all can see.

[00:19:12]And we're going to jerk this down.

[00:19:16]Uh we're going to jerk this down. And uh we're going to slap the p the Starduster M400. I'm going to set the Well, you'll hear me. Going to set the vertical element at 102.6.

[00:19:32]I'll set the radiators at 106.

[00:19:40]Then we'll go from there.

[00:19:56]reaction.

[00:20:08]We got to take ground radios off real quick.

[00:20:13]That way I protect my antenna. All right, here we go. Real quick.

[00:20:26]real quick here.

[00:20:33]We'll be putting a just hold on there.

[00:20:56]We'll put a half inch. Not a half inch zip tie.

[00:21:04]around this so it doesn't fall.

[00:21:13]Just like that. Get it out of the way.

[00:21:16]Now we're going to drop tighten back. We're going to remove the booms, the ground plane radios, because we're going to take the antenna back down to the test table.

[00:21:33]the build table.

[00:21:37]Rebuild the network.

[00:21:51]There's radio one.

[00:21:54]You take the radio out. You put the fastener back.

[00:22:04]This back radio I'll leave on till I'm on the ground.

[00:22:12]It works as a counter balance for when I let the antenna down.

[00:22:29]I'll show you the network.

[00:23:48]Antenna's almost too hot to touch.

[00:24:12]Literally that hot, folks.

[00:24:22]I'm done [ __ ] with it.

[00:24:51]Once I get to a spot here, I'll flow. I just got to I got to stay safe here.

[00:25:07]This son is always tight. The one next to the always.

[00:25:16]Sometimes it don't want to come out. I got to get all [ __ ] spined with it.

[00:25:56]It's out. I don't know why come out.

[00:26:00]It's tapered. This one's tapered.

[00:26:14]pissing me off.

[00:26:27]Let go, stupid [ __ ] Let the hell go with my element.

[00:27:39]Got to sweat to cool off. That's the most important thing I tell people. You ain't sweating and you're in trouble.

[00:27:48]If I wasn't sweating, I wouldn't be able to be up here all day. Like I've been up here for like five hours off and on.

[00:27:58]Got me aggravated.

[00:28:00]I just got to put this M400 because it'll turn right up.

[00:28:10]All right. So, that's why I use the safety clamp.

[00:28:13]Watch how easy this is.

[00:28:27]I'm going to set the antenna back to extended two.

[00:28:32]I know the area. I know there's no high line anywhere.

[00:28:36]So, I can just kind of blow. I use that one vertical straight up and down.

[00:28:40]That's my counterwe that keeps me lets me be able to handle the antenna.

[00:28:46]Keeps it from spinning. Then we can walk it over here.

[00:28:51]Keep it vertical.

[00:28:53]Kick it out a little bit. Set it down.

[00:28:57]Now I'm going to walk it down.

[00:29:00]I'm going to set these two elements back to where I stand.

[00:29:17]That way when we go back to the beginning, we're not all out of ballpark.

[00:29:23]In case you guys want to know, that's 20 foot 22 foot 7 10 and 1/2 in, which is the proper tune for this antenna.

[00:29:35]Now, have to get this out of the way.

[00:29:41]We're going to walk it around to the back and we'll have to take it to the front.

[00:29:49]You won't be able to be here when I go to There we go.

[00:30:20]tell you it's always something.

[00:30:24]Get it more vertical.

[00:30:27]Very steady.

[00:30:29]All right.

[00:30:32]Now, first thing we do, we're going to run this up.

[00:30:43]about there.

[00:30:45]Take three clamps.

[00:30:50]Don't matter what order. One. Make sure they're going the same.

[00:32:02]I'm just trying to get this one to hold because the subject is so hot. Let me get this.

[00:32:09]How did that one screw itself together?

[00:32:12]I didn't do that.

[00:32:16]That's crazy.

[00:32:32]right now. We're not worried about anything with that.

[00:32:48]I've literally done this [ __ ] blindfolded, guys, in my sleep.

[00:32:56]Now, I have to do this a certain way.

[00:33:27]Let me get myself together a minute, guys. It's really hot. When you're on the roof, you got stuff that you can tangle up. You got your underwear falling off, falling down around your ankle. Literally I tell you guys, I done do this [ __ ] myself, man. I'm not I'm being serious.

[00:35:51]When you're by yourself and you don't have legs, you learn how to do this [ __ ] You learn all the little tricks.

[00:35:59]I'm showing you all some tricks.

[00:36:02]I got all my screws put up.

[00:36:06]I'm going to go.

[00:36:09]Notice I never tighten my mask. We don't tighten our mask yet.

[00:36:15]Going to bring these up.

[00:36:19]I'm going to go tap my mask down.

[00:36:25]Then we'll anchor it. I'll show you what I'm talking about.

[00:36:44]I like our pocket.

[00:36:46]We got a good angle.

[00:36:54]So, we're going to tighten that angle.

[00:37:08]You want to tighten these clamps evenly.

[00:37:12]Now, we're going to look center. Bring that to the top. We're going to get these out of the way cuz they're going to cause an accident.

[00:37:30]in the valley.

[00:37:32]Now we're going to come up here.

[00:37:40]It's getting pretty hot, guys.

[00:38:07]We don't run that screwdriver through our face.

[00:38:14]This clamp will square everything up on their own.

[00:38:20]That's why I like them.

[00:38:33]My body just told me I need to go get cool.

[00:38:37]So, we got to pay attention to that.

[00:38:40]I'm dropping significant flu, guys. So, we're going to anchor Got enough floods here. I can stay up here.

[00:39:19]All right. Little bit of electrolytes, a little bit of salt.

[00:39:32]All right. Now, we're going to come around this side. Cut these clamps.

[00:39:37]Come on. Breeze.

[00:39:40]Blow a little bit.

[00:39:49]Now come up here.

[00:39:57]There's the breeze.

[00:40:04]Not yet.

[00:41:03]If you're doing this kind of stuff, don't pay attention to the ground.

[00:41:10]Forget about it.

[00:41:14]All right.

[00:41:16]Now, we're going to go to the back.

[00:41:24]We're going to grab three screws.

[00:41:38]the proper tool.

[00:41:43]We're going to do these by hand.

[00:41:48]This one comes up.

[00:41:53]These go from the bottom.

[00:41:57]Pay attention, folks. From the bottom.

[00:42:01]Do the opposite side.

[00:42:14]From the bottom. From the bottom.

[00:42:33]That's going to make me mad, guys.

[00:42:39]Now I've got to go down and find that.

[00:42:42]I found it. I already found it.

[00:42:46]That's a good opportunity to get some fluid.

[00:42:50]We'll go get that screw.

[00:42:52]Then I'll show you how we set this thing to the right frequency of operation.

[00:42:59]Guys, it's 106 index.

[00:43:26]I go out here and I do this stuff, guys, because I can. Not be to be arrogant, none of that [ __ ] I grew up in a wrestling room and I'm conditioned.

[00:43:41]I'm conditioned to be out in this kind of weather. and I'm a 50-y old man and I can come out here and do it. And as long as I can do it, I'm going to keep doing it. That's what that is.

[00:43:56]Be right back.

[00:45:42]Here I come.

[00:46:26]All right, put before we go any further and drop in.

[00:46:44]All right, we'll run these [ __ ] in. Oh, we got some nice cloud cover.

[00:46:53]So, this is the M400 new version.

[00:47:09]We're tight standoffs That work.

[00:47:37]That works.

[00:47:41]and I'll turn this back this way.

[00:47:47]All right.

[00:47:52]You find your level There's level tighten here.

[00:48:23]Tighten here.

[00:48:33]Great.

[00:48:45]All right.

[00:48:48]Now, we're going to measure the vertical element.

[00:48:53]I screwed up. I screwed up. I screwed up. What did I not do?

[00:49:02]That's what happens when you get hot.

[00:49:03]That's okay. I forgot about the coax.

[00:49:08]It's absolutely fine.

[00:49:11]Absolutely fine.

[00:49:14]I'll just release these cups. I can do it all right here. I can do it right here.

[00:49:19]Fine. Damn it. Forgot all about it. I got hot.

[00:49:29]No big deal.

[00:49:32]The ground radios will hold it.

[00:49:37]I freaking forgot all about that [ __ ] I straight up did. I don't know why y'all didn't say nothing. That's funny.

[00:49:47]Good thing I caught it.

[00:49:52]Good thing I caught it.

[00:49:55]Beautiful.

[00:50:00]Beautiful. That's why it's designed this way, by the way. So, slide cap. Now, I got to go up. I just I just got ahead of myself cuz I'm hot. All that is All right. Now, we're going to take this strap.

[00:50:18]Where is it?

[00:50:52]Now got to think about all this crap. All right, here we go. So now I've got to show you a trick. You got to take your And then that way I don't lose it right there so I don't lose it.

[00:51:39]When I'm up here and I'm hot, I got to make sure I can hold on to myself here.

[00:51:45]All right. So, now we'll take this Now bump it out. Pick it up.

[00:52:13]Not a big deal.

[00:52:19]Pop it out.

[00:52:22]Good god, it's hot.

[00:52:58]Tell you what, There we go. Now, because Oh, [ __ ] me again.

[00:53:55][ __ ] trying to lock.

[00:54:20]It's not wanting to lock into the connector we got going on here.

[00:54:35]There it is.

[00:54:37]It's only half connector.

[00:54:45]Good deal. So, it's only got two teeth instead of all the way around.

[00:54:52]So, I had to find them teeth.

[00:54:55]Now, this is a hard way to do it. Don't do it this way. I didn't want to take it all back off the pole.

[00:55:02]I do all my tuning outside here. So now of it go Okay, now we're going to check it one last time. What's going on? Good.

[00:55:48]I like that. Good deal.

[00:56:00]Perfect, perfect, perfect. Okay.

[00:56:19]Make sure the barrel is not turning.

[00:56:28]it back and we're going to tape it up.

[00:57:00]Take that.

[00:57:20]I don't think I can get what we're going to do.

[00:57:48]inside that rain.

[00:57:55]See if I can get a big piece of my beetle.

[00:58:00]That'll work better cuz I don't know if I brought it.

[00:58:14]I don't have a smaller row.

[00:58:17]I can't get my tape. Even if I had it off the pole, guys.

[00:58:24]Yeah, I might be.

[00:58:55]You know what I'm I don't think it's going to be necessary inside this cap.

[00:59:28]I'll put one I'll put one single piece on it, but no reason to tape it up. It's inside that hat.

[00:59:40]I'm so wet that It's pretty Yeah, pretty senseless. I ain't even doing too senseless. Like I'm soaking wet. So, we're not going to do that.

[00:59:57]Tighten up these elements.

[01:00:02]Put her down on there. Good. Pull the slack back.

[01:00:16]Make sure it's down on there. Good.

[01:00:21]our elements.

[01:00:38]Tight.

[01:00:47]All right.

[01:00:56]We're good there.

[01:00:58]Now, we'll put our me our measurement on our vertical element at 102.6.

[01:01:07]Go ahead and get our very lengthen Mark it. There he is.

[01:02:06]86.

[01:02:10]We're 11 102.6 102.62 58 I'm very hot.

[01:03:48]I'm okay. My heartbeat's under control right now. I'm not racing.

[01:03:53]I'm not going to die or pass out yet.

[01:03:56]Once I start getting a racing heart, I got to stop.

[01:04:08]102.6 guys.

[01:04:11]This is resonant for the center of the 20 m or 20 channel 20.

[01:04:20]I'm using this. I didn't tighten the side screws yet.

[01:04:25]I'm going to use this vertical radiator.

[01:04:31]Keep the top hat square.

[01:04:35]I'll show you now. We're going to step back and look at it.

[01:04:52]Pretty square.

[01:04:57]All right, feels good.

[01:05:00]Back and look at it.

[01:06:18]No big deal.

[01:06:28]See what I did.

[01:06:37]All right, we're square now.

[01:06:48]Now we're going to raise this up.

[01:07:10]right here. So, we start making some measurements.

[01:07:14]I got to go get the right tool.

[01:07:26]106 in.

[01:07:33]see a [ __ ] thing.

[01:07:36]No way in hell can I see I don't care where you're at.

[01:09:42]I'm just hot, guys. Give me a second.

[01:09:51]real hot.

[01:09:58]Once I get this measurement, then I know what to make the rest. But it's a difficult one.

[01:10:06]Got to hold this off at 55 and a quarter and then do a big stretch. I've got it'll get pulled off.

[01:10:29]All we got to do is make them the same now. So, watch this.

[01:10:42]55 and a quarter.

[01:10:59]55 and eight.

[01:11:11]My [ __ ] tech letters just [ __ ] wiped off.

[01:11:18]Are you serious?

[01:11:51][ __ ] knew how hot it was, guys.

[01:12:00]I I got to get this before I can do things right.

[01:12:05]Can't see this.

[01:12:21]Be a pain in the damn ass.

[01:12:56]Can't read my damn tape cuz it's wore out.

[01:13:00]55.

[01:13:06]Thank you. All right.

[01:13:15]And it's back. [ __ ] dumb ass.

[01:13:45]My tape measure is literally coming apart. Look at that. I swear to God.

[01:14:02]All right.

[01:14:04]Grab me a zip tie.

[01:14:20]This is crazy.

[01:14:29]I just need it to make one measurement.

[01:14:31]That's all I want. I can measure the rest by measuring one end, but I now it's completely not usable.

[01:14:43]It's not even usable. Now, this the [ __ ] I run into, guys. Now, my tape measure is no good.

[01:15:00]I got to go find another cake. This got to be measured. I'll be back.

[01:15:06]Got to be major.

[01:18:14]All right, guys. I got a 100% meter. Got to be measured. Got to be measured exactly right.

[01:18:37]Anyways, I'm so I'm so hot that it's All I got to do is measure the dead gun 106 out on the radio, but I'm so short and the way I do it, I have to have a tape measure and I got to go find one. I just got that tape measure. Brand new.

[01:18:58]Brand new. Brand new. And it's so hot out here. The adhesive the tape measure literally just brand new Craftsman.

[01:19:08]So damn hot. It just come apart.

[01:19:11]Soon as I find a tape measure in here somewhere, I'll hold 55 at the end of the element and pull down to 106, lock it off, and then just measure the offset of the other two and make them the same, and it's done. But guys, it's it's 106 index. So, here I am trying to find a tape measure.

[01:19:36]I'm actually going to bring you all in and we'll find a tape.

[01:19:41]It's basically done.

[01:19:46]It's so hot out. I didn't put that thing on there and forgot to put the coax in the side of the pole. Okay. Pissed me off.

[01:19:55]But we got it. Just got to pull the other radials down to length.

[01:20:05]Oh, they do work well.

[01:20:15]All right, boys. Going to just cool down here a minute.

[01:20:24]Y'all don't realize how hot it is. Maybe y'all do, but yeah, it's cooking.

[01:20:31]Give me just a little bit here to get right get cooled off. And then I got to get all this wet [ __ ] off. Then we got to hunt a tape measure.

[01:20:46]I can't Oh, here's a tape right here.

[01:20:48]But this will work better, too, because it's a ribbon tape.

[01:20:53]So good. I got a tape right here.

[01:20:57]You hold it at 55.

[01:21:53]Nothing worse than having your [ __ ] Down.

[01:22:25]We're going to be back shortly, guys.

[01:22:45]I found another tape. I got to get change out of this stuff.