> In the January CQWW/160 contest, I tried a 1/2-wave end-fed vertical
> (no radials) which was supported by a helium balloon. It worked very
> well until a storm blew
> the balloons into a 100-foot-tall fir tree. Actually it still worked
> well even then. I'm going to try it again in the next CQWW/160.
>
> Questions:
>
> (1) Has anyone else tried balloon- or kite- supported verticals on 160?
> (2) If yes, did you use 1/2-wave or 5/8-wave?
> (3) What kind of balloon? I'm thinking about trying one of those advertising
> balloons, because they're more aerodynamic. The weather balloons have too
> much windage.
>
> 73 Mike N6MZ
>
Many years ago a friend of mine N4BP (W4OZF at the time) tried the same thing
you did. The results: Worked fine in still wind. When the wind picked up it
laid over until near horizontal, touched a power line, vaporized the wire,
turned off lights in the entire neighborhood, killed palm tree it was touching,
smoked rig. End of experiment.
Kris, AA5UO '~ ~`
mraz@rockdal.aud.alcatel.com L
J
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