I have built two. The first was a quarter turn version I found at
http://www.pilotltd.net/qha.htm It has excelent range getting all the
way down to the horizon from my chimney level but it is to tall to hold
up on a sailboat. THe second was a half turn design from
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/phqfh1/qfh_diy_guide.htm This is a more
traditional proportion that will fit nicely on a radar arch or stern
pulpit but I loose about 100 miles at either end of a pass. Not
particularly a disadvantage because most of the weather you need to see
is East or West of the pass.

Both of these are made with copper tube and PVC drain pipe. I am
gathering material to build a modified version of the second one with a
piece of heavy FRP mast and stainless tube that will remain a bit more
presentable on the stern pulpit than copper.

Timestep and the other QFH antenna makers want an obscene amount for a
basically very simple unit.

Lot of good info here http://www.rig.org.uk/shareware.htm I am using a
freeware program called QFH.EXE from that site to compute the element
lengths.

Evan Gatehouse wrote:

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:qX19c.538$9g.506@lakeread04...

When you talk about 137 Mhz that is the low orbit weather image
satellites like NOAA 15 & 17 and ? The best suite of programs for that
is David Taylor's WXtrack (free) and SatSignal ($50). I receive through
a Hamtronics R139 that cost about $50 and a home made Quadrafillar Helix
antenna mounted on my chimney. A good sweep from here in Middle Georgia


O.k. I have to ask: How do you make a DIY Helix antenna like the commercial
ones? I would have thought the construction tolerances would be quite
tight. Any online instructions?

I've used weatherfax a lot but no real time sat images. Might be useful in
the future.


--
Evan Gatehouse

you'll have to rewrite my email address to get to me
ceilydh AT 3web dot net
(fools the spammers)



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com