WCRV Cherry Ridge Radio

WCRV Cherry Ridge Radio writes: Hi everyone!

Fortunately for me, I’ve gotten a lot of advice about what to do with the WCRV antenna, and how to put it on the air in this restrictive environment…

WCRV Cherry Ridge Radio writes: Hi everyone!

Fortunately for me, I’ve gotten a lot of advice about what to do with the WCRV antenna, and how to put it on the air in this restrictive environment…

There were a ton! of great ideas that I simply could not use, some of which were emailed, some I found, some of which I developed.

First, the shed is actually 8 foot tall, not 10, but a suggestion was to use a PVC pipe as “smokestack or flue”. Great idea, something I didn’t come up with.

I think I can use the antenna at 8 foot tall, including pvc and metal pipe (as the antenna is essentially a copper pipe); by installing a top hat, or making it a uni-pole.

I could easily make the coil much longer and more involved.

The shed sits on a concrete slab which I thought was the biggest problem. But a great contributor suggested with an article that; I could lay tin foil down on the slab, or run the radials out between the wood shed and the slab. Both are great suggestions, and I’m told this works.

Truth be told, this particular antenna at the legal height is excellent, but this past summer I had it “boned out” at over 20 feet and it was just killer.

The trick is to make it “think” it is 20 foot tall, and then to go from there. That is either by coil, making it into a uni-pole, or both. Anyway, working in a shed 150 feet from the studio makes it tough, anyway, and it has to be done in the dark.

The most difficult aspect of this is: how do I mount it? Well there is no digging this concrete up, so I thought about using a Christmas tree stand; either metal or plastic, both of which I own, running the radials or tin foil off the metal piece at the bottom, attaching the coil to a small piece of PVC which is on top of the radial, and adjusting the copper pipe down to fit inside, the rest will have to depend on the coil being very efficient.

In this way, the antenna can not be seen, it will sit at about the same footage off the road as the original did, but it won’t sit in a wet/damp area.

For you engineers, a long time ago, I experimented with a CB unit and tried to convert it to AM use. I now have two new CB units with CB antennas; is there any use in trying to use these for either AM or FM use in broadcasting?

Keep sending your suggestions: they are realy helping. All I want to do is relocate my antenna and keep my station on air without the antenna being seen.

Thanks for all your help! Carl

Thank You for Emailing WCRV – Carl and Joyce,
WCRV Cherry Ridge Radio

http://wcrv1540am.tripod.com/wcrv.html