Like I mentioned in my first post, my first ham-related DIY project is this 3-element Yagi antenna out of PVC and tape measure. I was inspired when I learned you could download images from the ISS with Slowscan TV (SSTV), and I figured it’d be a good beginner project for someone still unlicensed and who wasn’t sure if they wanted to dive right into the hobby yet.
(Don’t worry, I’m diving in. I was just in denial/feeling cautious over past deep dives into new hobbies. Listening to these repeaters for a little bit each day has made me more and more eager to get licensed already.)
I spent the first week of March trying to customize measurements for the antenna while reading up on antenna theory. As I got overwhelmed with all the math and trying to cross-reference all the webpages and element calculators and blah-dee-blah, I realized I had a perfectly good tutorial bookmarked, with all the measurements I needed, that I could just follow. I had no need to overcomplicate things. I had to remember that I’m just a beginner at this and I’m allowed to take beginner-level projects.
I felt much better once I finally made the decision to follow the tutorial.
Gathering equipment
A visit to my studio
I swung by my much-neglected office/studio to drop some art supplies off, and also! to pick up what equipment and supplies I have for electronics work: soldering equipment and supplies, heating mat, and other related tools. It’s been awhile since I used any of this, and I was never more than passably proficient at soldering… but the amount of soldering for this project is minimal, and I won’t be ruining any circuit boards. I’m trying not to worry too much about it!
I’m avoiding buying additional equipment right now, but am okay with spending money on supplies, as long as I already have access to whatever equipment I need to handle the new supplies. Fortunately, what I don’t already have, my father usually does–or at least has something similarly useful. I’m counting on him having what I need to cut up PVC pipe and the steel tape measure.
Physical vs. online stores & meeting my budget
I know what the right answer should be, but sometimes, online just seems to be the way to go. I wish shopping locally were always possible, but it just is not.
The physical, non-electrical components I bought at Ace Hardware and Home Depot. (Reminder to self: Choose Home Depot over Ace next time!) Ace Hardware’s prices were much higher than Home Depot’s and the prices I had found online in previous research. I was feeling impatient and excited so I bought the PVC fittings I needed when I was near an Ace, but I should’ve waited for my already planned Home Depot trip!
With the help of a friend, I did alleviate a bit of my budget overspending by sourcing the rest of the (mostly electrical/electronics) supplies I needed online. It did require some wrangling with bulk pricing and meeting minimums–I never realized how difficult it’d be to meet a $5 order min when the items cost cents per unit–but I managed to order the rest of what I needed.
Next up…
In order to meet that $5 minimum, I decided I would start purchasing items for what I hope to be my 2nd project… a morse code paddle. I also told myself that’s the last I’ll spend on the DIY side of things for things until I actually start building!
Fingers crossed I get some time in this upcoming week to at least measure and cut the materials for the antenna.