I have been busy this new year, building a large desk for my wife and i to use with our computers as well as building a new antenna for Rock 105.3 FM.
I have been busy this new year, building a large desk for my wife and i to use with our computers as well as building a new antenna for Rock 105.3 FM.
I am sure you all have seen the Tru-match TM100 antenna at http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=TM100 Ramsey electronics,well a ham operator by the name of Mike Yancey cloned that antenna for a mere $17 dollars.
You can see his plans and antenna here: http://www.km5z.us/FM-Transmit-Antenna.php
And of course you can see my nearly finished version of the cloned TM100 at my YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLh2Jujl8nE&feature=share
This antenna project was fun and my wife helped out as well which is why it was so enjoyable to put together.
I will post a video after i put it up in the air showing coverage and the pro’s con’s of the cloned tm-100.
Replicated Replications
Ya the first year Ramsey came out with that thing I just laughed. Anyone with pre school education can look at the product image and clearly see its nothing more than pvc pipes and coax inside…forming a 1/2 wave open dipole.
A couple of coat hangers and string and bubble gum will perform the same, and cheaper than the replication model.
Your projects are looking good. Keep it up!
RFB
Wide Band Tuning
The original “off the shelf” antenna is obviously built to some “wide band” frequency in the vicinity of the FM band, but I would assume the antenna has a “best” resonant frequency….
Couldn’t the Clone, therefore, be specifically tuned to a particular frequency?
Yes it can!
To answer your question Carl, yes this antenna can be tuned to your frequency just by trimming the antenna. I was able to tune mine by using an online calculator.
It seems i trimmed mine pretty well, the clone antenna covers the park and apartments very well and the dead spots are nearly non-existent now.
Good Projects
Glad to hear your clone antenna is doing the job.
Bet your desk looks nice too!
Many Thanks
Carl the desk is great. Well it resembles a work bench in a basement or garage but it is a lot nicer than that warped walmart desk my wife and i had our computers on.
The signal on 105.3 sounds pretty too.
http://www.radiodizzy.org
Pictures of the desk here:
I apologize for the crummy pictures, i guess my camera phone has seen better days.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.330121727018582.88020.100000622716475&type=1&l=aed1ed7f07
Ooops
Wrong URL for the clone antenna pictures on that last post.
Here is the correct url.
http://rock95seven.blogspot.com/
Top Honors
The desk and the antenna are beautiful.
A nice long professional workspace makes computer living very pleasant.
That antenna up in the air looks “official.”