Aloha to those following this project, and especially
you over in Europe who have been waiting for skeds
on 30 and 40 CW.
I am doing my best to get these wires functioning. I
am now trying to get the wires up from lying across
the tree top canopies. Have several push-up poles,
Radio Shack, and plan to strap them into/against
the mango, hau, guava trees to lift the wires
away from the great green menace.
I managed to get one pole set up yesterday, rather
close in on the leg running ESE, and today, I have
struggled with a first pole on a leg running pretty much
due South. This one is about mid-way out between the
feed point above the backyard, and a, roughly 70 foot
tall mango tree. The v wire runs directly over the
top of the mango. However, it drops dramatically
from the feed right down into the guava before rising
to the top of the mango. With the push up pole tied
into a guava, I tried several times to push the wire
higher. However, the pole would slip back down every
time I tried to tighten the set bolt gadget!! I just
am not strong enough to balance in the tree, push
a pole section up, hold it up, and tighten the
screw enough to hold the section up: every time,
it would slip from my left hand grip, and come
sliding back down. I got extremely frustrated
and more tired with each passing attempt. So
I have quit for today. Perhaps I can get some
help from my son or another ham here on the
island in a day or two.
Anyway that is the status. I just feel, especially
with present prop conditions that it is futile to
attempt 30 or 40 meter skeds over the poles, either
of them!! With the wires lying across the tree tops,
am sure much of my signal energy is being absorbed
by the greenery.
Have a couple more weeks ahead to work on this before
CQWW CW test weekend, so am plugging away at finishing
the project in time.
I did manage a 40 meter QSO last night with R1ANF, around
0430, the 6th, on 7009 kHz. I don't think he was in
No. Europe, but not sure!
73, Jim, KH7M
Kauai, Hawaiian Islands
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