It turns out the external antenna isn’t working. It could be a bad connection or cable. I just don’t know for certain. I switched to the internal antenna on the station at the Taj and I got everything working. This probably will reduce the coverage at the shooting line but I can work on the external antenna problems some other time. Like next spring when the weather is a little warmer. Currently it’s 36 F and my fingers are cold. And if I am going to be replacing cables I want to have warm enough weather than the rubber tape I use to seal everything up with will stick and be pliable.
I also mortared the concrete blocks for the “throne” into place.
I think I’m done with all the maintenance I want to do here. The next trip out will probably be to do some Boomerite mixture testing. If the weather is good perhaps son-in-law Caleb and I will come out on Saturday.
Silicone self-amalgamating tape is the ticket for weatherproofing RF connections. I’ve found it (as “miracle tape” or similar names) in the plumbing (!) section of big-box home improvement stores. It fuses into a solid mass, even at low(ish) temperatures; you just keep it stretched while wrapping the connection.
Thanks!
I was actually thinking of you when I was out there. Antennas, cables, dbm, and RF losses…