SB5 Manual
Contents
1. Bowline is the guying ring Tie each one of the four would be a good knot length of cord to the guying ring as illustrated for the guying ring and Tie a loop about 5cm long in the other ends of a Figure of Eight for the cords Seal the ends of the nylon cord with a the loops lighted match being careful not to set the cord alight or to drop burning nylon on yourself or anything else Once all four guylines are complete fold and loosely knot them to keep them tidy We have used a 4 guy system for this aerial is it gives greater stabil ity and control when erecting and taking down the system This is SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 ilsypertant especially when aPage 5 www sotabeams co uk breeze springs up Preparing the feedline Need ruler craft knife wire strippers solder ing iron solder small vice heat gun he The SB5 is supplied with feeder cable that __ is fitted with a BNC plug Take the unter minated end and feed 80cm up through the choke sleeve as illustrated Wind a r A a an be ies F 3 K 3 eight turns of cable on the eh FATE ry tel Maes r sleeve tightly and pass the unterminated end down Ke through the hole in the other 5 end of the choke sleeve You 7 7 should now have about 10cm of co ax protruding from the choke sleeve Strip exactly 25mm of the outer insula tion and make a pigtail not a pig s ear of the braid as shown Strip 5mm of insulation of the centre2. are the aluminium rods www sotabeams co uk that it shrinks onto the element and the epoxy glue coating inside the sleeving melts Before it cools make sure that the end of the sleeving is exactly at the mark on the element you can move it a little while it s hot careful Get another 2cm piece of sleeving and do the same process again see photo below This completes the reflector Select the shortest element just under 1m long From the end without the endcap measure 474mm and mark the rod with a pen cil Slide a 1cm piece of heatshrink sleeving down the element so that the end of the sleeving is at the mark nearest the endcap as above Using the hot air gun heat the sleeving so that it shrinks onto the element and the epoxy glue coating inside the sleeving melts Before it cools make sure that the end of the sleeving is ex actly at the mark on the element you can move it a little while it s hot careful This completes the front director You should now have two element of the same length just under a metre Select either one From the end without the endcap meas ure 483mm and mark the rod with a pencil Slide a 2cm piece of heatshrink sleeving down the element so that the end of the sleev ing 1s at the mark nearest the endcap as above Using the hot air gun heat the sleeving so that it shrinks onto the element and the epoxy glue coating inside the sleeving melts Before it cools make sure that the end of the s
3. on a fine on if you don t want to use the built in storage day as you can then practice the techniques that will allow you to use your SB5 successfully under all conditions SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A Page 10 SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A Page 7 www sotabeams co uk www sotabeams co uk U7 cap and put the O rings and small element caps to one side TIP Use the cable ties to attach the long toftheb t Getting on the Air Connect the long boom section to the short boom section and slide part of the boom to erd i On arrival at your operating location choose a flat area of the element with the 3cm heatshrink marker D3 through to hold e pole for easy carrying sround about om by m Check toseewhich direction the the boom together you may find that you do not need an O ring to ae hold this element in place The two short element sections are the wind is coming from Extend the pole Start by pulling out the smallest l a i ae oe driven element These must be inserted either side into the holes in section first Lock each section by pulling firmly i the nylon bolt Locate the element with two heatshrink markers at the same time as twisting the section This Ba D A OE A E A E on Reflector and insert through the boom at the end closest to the P amp driven element Only push it about 2cm through then slide an O ring over the end and slide it all the way through s that the O ring remains next to the boom and will st
4. to do one side at a time and then rotate the pole to drill the other side Driven element Reflector SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A Page 8 Y SULA beams ZUU SBD issue A rage y
5. with care Once the beam is on the mast and the feeder is attached lift the mast to vertical and peg You are now ready to operate In very windy conditions you may be reluctant to erect the SB5 In that case use the Stubby The Stubby is a 3 element close spaced Yagi and is made with just the short boom section As a director us the element with the 1 cm sleeving this gives the best VSWR The Stubby has its own set of brackets TIP tie the yel And finally low cap to one of l o the mounting In the pack you will note a yellow cap This fits over bracket That the end of the nylon boom connection part and cre Test have shown that the SB5 and Stubby have a reasonable ates a little storage compartment Put 4 of the plastic VSWR on 70cm Performance is not guaranteed on this band and element endcaps and four of the small O rings in the radiation pattern 1s very odd However you might make a few there The cap has a long pull tab allowing you to remove it with contacts gloves on way it cannot get lost Locate the three reusable cable ties also specially selected to be usuable with gloves on and store them with the elements inside TIP When you pack the beam up you the long boom section may like to put the rings and endcaps on the elements to keep them safe The You are now ready for your first expedition However we advise elements will fit in the boom with them that your first expedition is to your garden or a local park
6. b rates Bmwidth 51 4 deg 3 334 3 25 7 deg Slobe 12 82 dBi Angie 235 deg E 2 Cs es F Slobe 23 5 aB e S 10 54 dBi ae KEES a 0 00 dBmax gt SR i Ro Cursor Az 0 0 ee Azimuth Plot ax Gain 10 54 dBi SRR cen oyp Elevation fngle 6 0 deg The VSWR should be below 1 7 1 across the 2m band A stacking kit with various contest enhancements is available at www sotabeams co uk The recommended maximum power rating for the standard version with crocodile clips is 25W The contest kit is rated at 400W SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A Page 12 www sotabeams co uk cap measure 487mm and mark the rod with a pencil Slide a 3cm piece of heatshrink sleeving down the element so that the end of the sleeving is at the mark nearest the endcap as above Using the hot air gun heat the sleeving so that it shrinks onto the element and the epoxy glue coating inside the sleeving melts Before it cools make sure that the end of the sleeving is exactly at the mark on the ele ment you can move it a little while it s hot careful This com pletes the third director The elements can now be returned to the boom tube for safe keep ing 2 Assembling the Guying Sys tem You will need a tape measure a pair of scissors a box of matches Locate the hank of guying cord and cut into four equal lengths In the components pack you will find a plastic ring about 35mm in diameter and 25mm long This TIP_A
7. core and tin 5mm of the ends of the braid and core Cut two pieces of heat shrink sleeving supplied 15mm long Slide these over the centre core and braid as far down and away from the tinned area as possible see photo Put one crocodile clip in a vice and lightly tin the end Put the braid into the clip bend over the cable support tabs and solder Solder quickly to avoid excess heat shrinking the sleeving Slide SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A Page 6 www sotabeams co uk Y l S TIP The SBS has an exceptionally clean radiation pattern so it s handy to know where it is pointing Put a piece of insulating tape around the top of the lower mast section and mark it A B H at 45 degree inter vals When you have chosen your operating position on the ground near the aerial use a compass to make a table of aerial directions e g C East D South East E South etc This will help you to point your aerial accurately Leave the tape on and make a new table each time you use the SB5 Don t forget a compass SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A Page 11 www sotabeams co uk www sotabeams co uk You will have noticed that the heatshrink sleeving is used to iden the sleeving over the crocodile clip as far as possible and shrink tify the elements if they are inserted in the wrong positions your using a heat gun Repeat the process with the centre core To wa beam will not work Once the beam is assembled lay it flat on the terproof t
8. e contact us by e mail Richard sotabeams co uk or by post to SOTA Beams 89 Victoria Road Macclesfield Chesh ire SK10 3JA You can also contact us by phone on 01625 425700 during normal working hours The SOTA name and logo are used with express permission of the SOTA manage ment team The SOTA programme is a not for profit Amateur Radio organisation which is wholly independent of SOTA Beams and ECS Ltd SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A Page 15 www sotabeams co uk Help Additional photographs of the construction techniques and the beam in use are at http www sotabeams co uk sb5 help htm This page will also show any updated construction information A SOTAbeams user group 1s at http groups yahoo com group sotabeams Still stuck If you have any problems or questions about the beam please con tact us by e mail Richard sotabeams co uk or by post to SOTA Beams 89 Victoria Road Macclesfield Cheshire SK10 3JA You can also contact us by phone on 44 0 1625 425700 during nor mal UK working hours Warnings Never use your antenna on a hilltop when there are thunderstorms nearby or forecast Always ensure that your antenna Is erected in such a way that it does not represent a hazard to yourself or others Never erect an antenna near to power lines SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A Page 14 www sotabeams co uk Safety goggles Wire cutters Hot air gun paint stripper gun Pencil 1 Assembly of t
9. he Antenna Elements Remove the soft plastic cap from the longer of the plastic tubes and tip out the antenna elements Cup SUT TIP tThe caps slide on easier if you mois them in your hand to stop them falling on the ground There are six rods which have been precision cut to work first time Find the packet of red soft plastic endcaps Put an endcap on one end of each of the rods so that all the rods have one endcap on The two shortest rods each about 48cm long form the driven element of the Yagi and are now complete put them to one side You now have four long elements left ten the ends of the rods with saliva yuk Find the length of 4mm heat shrink sleeving and using a craft knife cut a piece 1cm long Make sure that you cut squarely across the tubing Next lt cut three pieces 2cm long and one 3cm long Keep the remaining sleeving it will be used later Select the longest element just over 1m long From the end without the endcap measure 527mm and mark the rod with a pencil Make a second mark 552mm from the same end you should now have two marks 25mm apart Slide a 2cm piece of heat shrink sleeving down the element so that the end of the sleeving is at the mark nearest the endcap see photograph Note that the photo shows the marks much closer to the endcap than they will be on your element Using the hot air gun heat the sleeving so SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A 1 The antenna elements
10. he open top of the co ax use a thin clear glue such as ground out of the way Bostik Run the feeder along the length of the mast such that the choke 1s at the top of the mast Loosely clip the feeder to the mast with two cable ties about 1m and 1 5m down from the top Slide the beam onto the mast using centre pair of brackets Mount in with the ele ments horizontal for use on SSB and vertical for use on SSB Arranging the Guys for Travelling Guys can be a problem on hilltops They can easily get in a tangle unless you handle them with care We recommend that you double up each guy then loosely tie it with an overhand knot Finally slide an elastic band over it to keep it together Do this with each guy so that you have four bundles It is well worth taking the time to do Clip the crocodile clips onto the elements as shown in the photo this properly when you pack up on a hilltop too graph Make sure that they get a good bite Tighten the cable 3 clips such that there is no strain on the crocodile clips from the TIP The plastic feeder running down the mast This is VERY important Pre pa ring the Pole for use screw caps can easily a k hen n For VHF only use it is often easiest to remove the ST Doken masi ie three thinnest sections of the 7m telescopic pole Do this by unscrewing the plastic endcap and slid ing the three thinnest sections out at the base of the pole Replace the screw cap fixed onto the pole Handle them
11. ing to use our SBS Tools You will need the following simple tools Tape measure a metal measuring tape is best Ruler Craft knife Soldering iron and solder SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A Page 2 www sotabeams co uk Operating tips Location location location is the cry of estate agents but it is equally applicable to radio amateurs Getting the best out of your beam demands choice of the right location Height makes a big difference on 2 metres so aim to get to a local high point Most antennas work best if the ground falls away in the direction you want to make contacts in Operating from the middle of a high plateau is therefore often discouraging while operating nearer the edge will improve things a lot Mount the antenna horizontal for SSB elements parallel to the ground and vertical for FM FM sounds nicer but far greater range will be achieved with SSB Be considerate when operating portable Don t put guys across paths and generally avoid getting in people s way Don t make lots of noise on the hills either people often come to hilltops to enjoy some peace and quiet so please don t give them a bad impression of our hobby Guarantee These beams have been designed for portable operation They are not suitable for permanent home station use We guarantee these beams to be free from manufacturing defect for 12 months from the date of purchase If you have any problems or questions about the beam pleas
12. leeving is exactly at the mark on the ele ment you can move it a little while it s hot careful This com pletes the second director You now have just one element left From the end without the end SOTA Beams 2007 SB5 Issue A Page 4 www sotabeams co uk Summits on the Air SOTA Beams is keen to support the aims and objectives of the Summits on the Air award pro gramme Summits on the Air SOTA is an award scheme for radio amateurs and shortwave listeners that en courages portable operation in mountainous ar eas SOTA has been carefully designed to make participation possible for everyone this is not just for mountaineers There are awards for acti vators those who ascend to the summits and chasers who remain in the warmth of their radio shacks For details of this exciting award see www sota org uk Under 18 Take part in the SOTA Challenge and win some portable radio gear Details at http www sotabeams co uk Challenge htm www sotabeams co uk Technical Stuff The SB5 is based on a design by Martin DK7ZB It is used with his permission thanks Martin The exact dimensions are slightly dif ferent due to the different production techniques and materials we have used The polar diagram is shown below This is the Free Space diagram DOSBox 0 70 Cpu Cycles 5 ele DK ZB modified 5 23 2007 17 55 30 Freq 144 3 MHz Gain 10 54 dBi Angle O deg F B 29 49 a
13. op the element falling out this is quicker than sliding the O rings on after fully inserting the ele ments Insert the remaining elements as shown in the diagram Lay the pole on the ground with the tip facing into the wind Slide he guying ring down the mast as far as it will go Peg out two side guys and a back guy Erect the pole and peg the final guy Adjust the guys so that they are all at 90 degrees to each other and are all well pegged and not too tight Sy Slip off one guy so that the pole can be lowered oa r A eine Nylon coupler into the wind The next stage is to assemble the comes off at right angles beam to the peg Remove the soft rubber endcap and take the ele O ring O ring O ring ments and cable ties out of the long boom section Keep the endcap i Ea safe as you will need it when you pack up again Remove the yellow ema e ie i S IP The friction lock is quite reliable in most cases but fo as is dem a may fail in windy conditions causing one or more sec Ware 2cm sleeve tions to collapse This is likely to damage the aerial and dem sleeve pole To avoid this happening you may like to make a sleeve safety lock system this is done by drilling a small hole through both sides of the pole just above the joint In use a D1 solid rod can be inserted through the holes which will stop Da D2 any collapse happening We recommend a 3mm diameter rod and a 3 1mm diameter hole The best way to drill the hole is
14. www sotabeams co uk Beams goth Bear CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE FOR ALL SORTS OF USEFUL ITEMS TO ENHANCE YOUR PORTABLE RADIO OPERATING SB5 LIGHTWEIGHT HIGH WWW SOTABEAMS CO UK PERFORMANCE PORTABLE YAGI SYSTEM www sotabeams co uk Introduction Thank you for purchasing the SB5 Portable Yagi System This beam has been designed with lightweight portable radio operating in mind Every component and aspect of its design has been care T fully considered to make it as easy TIP Throughout these in as possible to assemble carry and structions you will see boxes use It has been designed by Rich with tips and notes Tips are ard Newstead G3CWI who has things that you may wish to over 25 years of portable radio do to enhance the perform operating experience in places as ance of your system wild as Antarctica The art of ef fective portable operating relies on good preparation so read these instructions carefully and practice with your new antenna at home before you take it into the wilds Preparing the system for use Before using your SB5 there are a few simple tasks to undertake 1 Assembly of the antenna elements 2 Assembly and adjustment of the guying system 3 Construction of the feeder system 4 Learning how to erect the system You may have many years of experience or perhaps you are new to radio but either way we suggest that you read and follow these instructions before try
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search