Whew!
Day three of my great antenna adventure. This is my third QTH to use
this 135 foot end fed wire. At the other two locations I brought the end
of this particular wire right into the shack where it fastened to the L
network tuner. This time I am running other wire up from the tuner to a
feedthrough in the ceiling above the tuner. In the attic the wire
continues toward the front of the garage to another feedthrough that
goes outside up under the eave. It's like an antenna terminal high on
the side of my garage/workshop/hamshack. I have electric fence
insulators to carry the wire across the attic well away from everything.
The wire, insulators, feedthroughs and spacing are adequate even if I
crank the drive all the way up to the 120 watts my hottest transmitter
can muster. Outside the wire can stand up to the ice we get here once in
a while, too. I am installing a weak link outside so if a tree limb
falls on the wire it will break at the garage's antenna terminal instead
of tearing it out. I'm glad now I thought to do that because Murphy is
punishing me every step of the way. I can imagine what would have
happened without that sacraficial link.
I had hoped to be on the air for the QRP ARCI top band sprint but that
derned Murph!. Now I'm done for the day and I don't have the actual
antenna or counterpoise up yet. I'll be outside after that tomorrow and
never mind if there is a blizzard. Thunderstorm might slow me down.
Blizzard...full speed ahead. I am going to be back on 80 and on 160 as
soon as I get it all installed.
73,
Bill KU8H
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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