I can only offer another anecdotal account to the subject. It started 44
years ago when I, Steve, K9CQV (K0SX), Ken, W0KUS, and Julius, K8HKB set up
shop on San Andres Island and signed our calls portable HK0 for a week.
With the help of Victor, HK0AI we had a location at the water's edge. We
erected our 43 foot top loaded "Minooka Special" there with the aluminum
"dynamite blasting wire" radials draped off into the water. We ran Drake twins
and
were amazed the reports from around the world and during the CQWW 160 CW
contest. We even ran a number of phone patches on 160 for islanders from
that location.
Subsequently, I set up in a number of other locations on San Andres over
the next 20 years using several HK0 calls. I never saw the same kind of
success as that first trip until I located a palm tree supported Minooka
Special at the Bahia Marina near San Luis town, again at the water's edge. It
made a believer out of me. For a few of those years I operated at HK0BKX.
Pacho's location was downtown on the north end of the island, blocks from the
sea. It was like pulling teeth to get good reports on 160 from his place.
Nevertheless, those are all fond memories. Pacho finally came to the
states and operated in Rose Pine, Louisiana as W5/HK0BKX for a few years. He
passed away about 15 years ago. He and I made a number of jaunts together to
islands and Mainland Colombia. Ham Radio always played a part in those
trips, but most of the wild stories I could tell about them had nothing to do
radio or verticals on the beach. Don't ask.
73, Best DX, Barry, W9UCW
_________________
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
|