Hi.

While we are on the subject of antenna stunts, I'll tell you my best one.

Back in May, 1989, western New York got a freak snowstorm that dropped 14 
inches of wet snow, which of cours brought down trees along with two out of 
four of my HF antennas.  I was off of everything except for 10 and 15 meters.

So, I spliced the coax directly to the twinlead of my G5RV (the smashed 
balun was under the maple tree that came down!

The random wire actually consisted of two 70 foot rolls of wire that were 
joined at the senter of the antenna by a mechanical connection  that 
consisted of a wire nut.  Basically, when this antenna came down, all that 
really happened was that the wire nut came off.  In order to repair the 
antenna, I let one end of the wire down (the section attached to the pine 
tree at the back of our back yard.  I then proceeded to walk it over to the 
other piece of wire, took  a knife and scraped the wire until both pieces 
were shiny, twisted it back together, replaced the wire nut, wrapped it 
securly with electrical tape and went back to the pine tree and pulled up 
the wire.

In order to pull the wire up into the tree, I climbed about 30 feet up the 
tree.  The branches were well spaced so climbing the tree wasn't difficult 
at all.  When I got to a respectible hight I pulled the support line around 
a branch and proceeded to pullit untill the wire seemed very taut and tied 
it off securely.  Then I went back down the tree, with a job well accomplished.

Well, almost.  As I was walking across the back yard, I ran into my random 
wire at about forehead level.  So, I figured that I didn't get the support 
rope tight enough.  Back up the tree I went to pull the line up tight and 
tie it off again.  Back down the tree I went, and as I crossed the back 
yard, I ran into the wire again.

I repeated this cycle with the same result for a total of four 
times.  Finally I started into the house in disgust, and that is when I 
noticed that the wire was pulled tight as it could be--under the clothes lines!

73, de Lou K2LKK



Louis Kim Kline
A.R.S. K2LKK
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