Hi Trippy,
Well this is great! I really think your story is neat.
Colleen, N8TNV;



----- Original Message -----
From: Harry Brown <[log in to unmask]>
To:  [log in to unmask]
Date: Thursday, Jul 12, 2012 10:29:58 PM
Subject: ways to get on hf, and an antenna story!

>
>
> 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