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Sotabeams Antennas
SOTAbeams Pico Trap Kits
SOTAbeams Pico Trap Kits are a pair of miniature antenna traps that you can build to create a super lightweight portable multiband HF wire antenna. Designed for QRP portable operations at 10 watts or less, Pico Traps allow the hobbyist to make their own two or three band dipole or end-fed halfwave. Pico Traps are: - The smallest, lightest traps on the market - Easy to adjust in series or parallel modes - Super for multi-band stealth antennas - Streamlined shape to reduce snagging on vegetation - Attachment points for antenna wire. Work great with Stealth Wire - Easily waterproofed with Liquid Electrical Tape for extended use - Can be mounted inside of 1 inch PVC conduit - Weigh less than 0.2 oz. Perfect for use with IC-705, FT-817, FT-818, KX3, KX1, HB1B and other similar radios. Instructions are linked in the Documents tab on the "More Detail" page. What do you get with a Pico Trap kit? 2 x High quality Pico Trap PCBs 2 x T50-6 toroids 2 x nylon mounting kits for toroids 2 x SMD 100pF AVX RF Capacitors, 0805 High Q, Ultra-Low ESR 22 AWG (0.6mm) wire for toroids Pico Trap Kit Specifications: Size: 1.4 x 0.6 in. (36 x 15 mm) Weight: less than 0.18 oz. (5 g) Low loss: typically less than 0.35 dB. Less than 0.75 dB worst-case. Inductor Q: > 240 @ 14 MHz [Source - MicroMetals] Capacitor Q: >> 1000 @ 14 MHz Rp: > 24,000 Ohms @ 12 MHz Suggested resonant frequency range: 10 - 25 MHz Power rating: 10 Watts Higher power SOTAbeams Trap Kits are available from DX Engineering: 100W: SBM-HFAT-101 20W: SBM-HFAT-102
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$19.99
SOTAbeams Guying Hardware Packs
SOTAbeams Guying Hardware Packs include guy rings and top insulators made from acrylic to serve the needs of the portable operator. Different size rings are provided for top and middle guy rope attachment levels. Each has multiple holes for complete versatility in guy rope attachments.
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$10.99
SOTAbeams Open Wire Line Spacers
SOTAbeams Open Wire Line Spacers are light and strong, heavy duty insulators made with modern materials that make it easy to build your own very low-loss ladder line! Features of these Open Wire Spacers: • Made from a specially selected mix of ABS and PVC to give great strength coupled with good UV resistance and tolerance to a wide temperature range, -58 to +194 degrees F (-50C to +90C) • Unlike heavy ceramic insulators which tend to slip with time on vertical ladder lines, these spacers are lightweight, just 0.2 oz. (5.5g) • Wire clips in easily and spacers stay in place • Suitable for insulated or uninsulated wire 12 to 18 AWG (2.5mm-1.0mm diameter) • Line spacing 4.4 in. (110mm) Spacer length 4.6 in. (120mm) • Spaced to create a feedline with a nominal impedance of 600 ohms • Recommended distance between spreaders is 27 in. (70 cm) • Hole in the center for attachment to wall stand-off or building cage dipoles • Spacers can be used to build special folded dipoles Sold in packs of five (5), it is easy to order SOTAbeams Open Wire Line Spacers in North America from DX Engineering.
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$10.99
SOTAbeams USB Battery Pack Keep-Alive Load Kits
SOTAbeams USB Battery Pack Keep-Alive Load Kits are easily assembled PC Board kits that provide an adjustable USB DC load. Some power banks and many USB battery packs switch off (go into a sleep mode) if the current being drawn is too low. This means that your device works for a few minutes and then stops. Often just a few extra milliamps current draw will keep the battery pack alive. There are various circuits on the web that give a pulsed load which works with some battery packs - but unfortunately SOTAbeams' tests have shown that such circuits don't work reliably with all battery packs. Just plug one of these Keep-Alive Load Kits into your battery pack and increase the current until battery pack stays on reliably (usually between 6 - 150 mA). Depending on the current that your powered device takes it may be a little as a few milliamps. An on-board LED indicates if the battery pack is live. The load supports a standard USB data connection. USB plug and socket for easy in-line connection. A heat-shrink sleeve is provided to protect the unit in the field. Don't have your WSPRlite lose its power source! Keep it powered up with SOTAbeams USB Battery Pack Keep-Alive Load Kits from DX Engineering.
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$15.99