I, too, was able to snag a large new top-of-the-line Hoffman weatherproof box on eBay a few years ago at considerable savings over retail. One note of caution: The more "weatherproof" the box, the mo
I was intrigued by the ad for Luso towers in the March issue of QST. I'd never heard of the company before. So I checked out the Web address in the ad (www.luso.us) and from there was led to some You
I know from observing a local oldtimer that a cage dipole is blessedly broadbanded. But as for gain over a standard single-wire dipole, phooey! However, you guys are ignoring the best advantage of a
The Surgex protectors are pricey, but I've managed to acquire some off that dreaded internet auction site for a fraction of retail. You have to be patient, but occasionally a NIB unit will come avail
"...I highly recommend NOT having it stop at the same spot every time. Vary the resting spot (up and down)..." Shortly after I purchased and installed my HDX-555 back in the 1990s, I innocently calle
I heartily second the nomination of KF7P's coax standoff arms. I recently purchased a set from Chris, and his design is clever and the workmanship is excellent. 73, Mike K0MYW _______________________
My HDX-55 behaves the same way -- which I actually find reassuring. To get it started tipping, I put a minimal amount of slack in the tilt fixture cable, then use a five-foot-long metal pry bar to nu
John, I don't think USTower anticipates 16 feet of mast sticking out the top of the tower. If you have much in the way of antennas attached to that mast, it may to exceed sideload potential foreseen
I got a good lessen in this matter a few years ago when I purchased a new weather-sealed Hoffman box in anticipation of a tower project. It took longer than I anticipated to get the project underway,
When time came to pour the base for my self-supporting HDX-555 several years ago, an argument erupted with the concrete truck driver when he delivered "soupy" mix that failed the "slump test" specifi
I've been watching this thread, waiting for someone to mention that the "falling derrick" method is routinely used by sailors when stepping (installing) masts. It's not nearly as scary as it might se
I'm sure that some of the alternate brands of soldering irons that have been mentioned are fine products. But to describe Weller products as "crap" is contradictory to my experience. When I was getti
Those of us who are old enough and who lived close enough fondly remember the original Henry Radio store in Butler, Missouri. A visit there gave hams a chance to visit with the knowledgeable staff an
FWIW, I have had great luck purchasing more traditional (non-ham) big-ticket items online from Walmart.com and having the merchandise delivered to a local Walmart store for my pickup, thus saving shi
I bought my US Tower HDX-555 back in the 1990s, when the purchase price wasn't so astronomical. Shipping it from California to Missouri was almost as costly as buying the thing -- and it took two tri
What's the terrain like? Try running HFTA on it. 73, Jim K9YC -- Jim's advice is always good. But living nextdoor to Kansas in the Missouri Ozarks, and having driven across Kansas several times, I c
When I put in my UST HDX-555 some 20 years ago, I hired a contractor I knew to dig the foundation with a backhoe and construct the rebar cage as per UST instructions. He also ordered the concrete. Bu
You've already received good ideas, but here's what I did in receiving my HDX-555, which weighs about 800 pounds and arrived in an enclosed tractor-trailer rig: When the delivery driver alerted me to