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Subject:
ways to get on hf, and an antenna story!
From:
Harry Brown <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
For blind ham radio operators <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:26:55 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (23 lines) 
Hi all,
See what I sent to Pat, wa0TDA, and I wanted to send it here as well!
Trippy, ac8s
Hi Pat,
Well, a couple things for ya!
1. In regards to the great article about hf, there's always a way to get on the air, handiham world 8/31/11, I, like you, love antenna parties! I love helping hams put up antennas!
I've loved it since 1978, after the 3 guys I mentioned in my last email to ya, put up my antenna in a snow storm!
2. Thanks for mentioning all the ways to get on hf!
Loved the part about the ldg 43 foot verticle with no radials needed!
3. If you want, please modify that article about getting on hf, and put this story I'm going to share, into it, ok?
The fence antenna, you read that right, the fence antenna, from Trippy Brown, ac8s.
It was 1981, and I was in high school at the time, and on my spring break! My brother, Ian, invited me over to his house in Vandercook Lake. I asked if I could bring my rig, my trusty Kenwood ts120, and he said, "sure can!"
So, off we went to his house.
I didn't know what in the world I'd do for an antenna, but what do ya know? In the back yard, was a chain link fence, I kid you not, a chain link fence!
You know what's coming, right? I asked Ian if we could go to Radio Shack, and I wanted to pick up a piece of copper wire. He said "sure, let's go!"
So, we went and got it, and I came home with a nice piece of copper wire!
So, in the bedroom I went, hooked up a piece of copper wire to the post on my trusty mfj941 antenna tuner that said "wire", and then, went out the window with the rest of the wire and connected it to one end of the chain link fence!
I got on, and didn't know what I would find. Well, first, I checked into the Michigan novice net, with a 579 rst, then, I went to 40 and had QSOs with 579 signal reports, and are ya ready for this one? I got on 20 meters, and had QSOs and got 59s on SSB, and hams asking me, "Trippy, what in the heck are ya running? You're the loudest signal on the band!"
I told them, "well, I hope you're sitting down! I'm running a kenwood ts120 into an mfj941 antenna tuner, running that into a piece of copper wire connected to one end of a chain link fence in the back yard!"
So there's your antenna story!
73,
Trippy, ac8s

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