Oh,Steve, I know you are just yanking my chain.

Really. ...
Just some fun among good ham friends.


I'll get ya for that one somewhere down the road.

Always looking toward improving things out there, although I'm really quite 
limited with what can be done.

But, hey, you never know.

I'm planning to work the CQ WPX CW contest as time allows, and would like to 
at least check into one of our week-end nets.

Plan to be out there Thursday through Sunday, with a return home on Memorial 
day itself to get ready to face the short work week next week.

Sure love these shortened work weeks in the summer time!

Tom Behler: KB8TYJ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Forst" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 9:56 PM
Subject: Re: Update on RV set-up


> Just yanking your chain a bit.   Glad you got the antenna working.
> Maybe you can improve things over the summer.
>
> Hope to see you in WPX CW this weekend.
>
> BTW, finished the pf key box  last week and much to  my surprise, it
> actually works.  Now I just have to figure out what to do with the extra
> 6 pf keys.
>
> 73, Steve  KW3A
>
> On 5/20/2013 9:33 PM, Tom Behler wrote:
>> Steve:
>>
>> The only thing anywhere near the ladder right now is a small piece of the
>> feedline as it runs from the G5RV feed point to where the RV is located.
>>
>> But, hey, you can give me a hard time about last year's  initial
>> ladder-oriented installation any time you want.  I really didn't think it
>> would work, but thought I'd humor my well-meaning camper friend by at 
>> least
>> giving it a try.  (big smile)
>>
>> As a result, I think he learned a little about antenna instalations, and 
>> I
>> confirmed what I thought I knew all along.
>>
>>
>>
>> Tom Behler: KBV8TYJ
>> -----
>> From: "Steve Forst" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 6:25 AM
>> Subject: Re: Update on RV set-up
>>
>>
>>> Tom,
>>>
>>> Did you remember to wrap several turns of the antenna around the RV's
>>> ladder like you did last year?
>>>
>>> 73, Steve KW3A
>>>
>>> On 5/19/2013 10:22 PM, Tom Behler wrote:
>>>> Hey, all.
>>>>
>>>> Well, for a variety of reasons, not the least was an unexpected rainy 
>>>> and
>>>> cool day on Friday, the XYL and I didn't get the G5RV up at the camp 
>>>> site
>>>> until early yesterday evening.  However, all was not lost.  I did 
>>>> manage
>>>> to
>>>> get onto 40 meters later last evening, and made two CW contacts--one 
>>>> with
>>>> a
>>>> guy in Southern Illinois, and another with someone near Rodchester NY.
>>>> Both
>>>> gave me 579 signal reports, despite lots of QRN and other noise on the
>>>> band.
>>>> Quite simply, the band did not seem to be in very good shape, which is
>>>> what
>>>> I think you guys found out earlier that afternoon on the round table.
>>>>
>>>> As it stands now, the G5RV is only up about 15 feet or so, quite simply
>>>> because there are not any substantial trees or other structures to tie 
>>>> it
>>>> too at the camp site.  And, like last year, I need approximately 100 
>>>> feet
>>>> of
>>>> coax to get the antenna to tune down to the bottom of 40 meters with 
>>>> the
>>>> auto-tuner in the TS480.  The antenna tunes now on 10 through 40, and 
>>>> on
>>>> the
>>>> bottom half of 80.
>>>>
>>>> I tried to get as much of the ladder line to be as vertical as 
>>>> possible,
>>>> but
>>>> with only a 15-foot height, that idea only goes so far.  I guess, if
>>>> nothing
>>>> else, it's a good NVIS antenna!  (grin)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> If anyone has any suggestions as to what I might do to improve things,
>>>> given
>>>> these constraints, please send them my way.
>>>>
>>>> In the meantime, I guess some sort of antenna is better than none, and
>>>> the
>>>> G5RV is sure a heck of a lot quieter sounding than the screw-driver
>>>> mounted
>>>> on back of the RV ever was.
>>>>
>>>> When I get back out to the camp site later this week, I'll give things
>>>> another try.  I plan to at least make some sort of an effort in the CQ
>>>> WPX
>>>> CW contest this week-end, and hope to check into at least one of our 
>>>> nets
>>>> as
>>>> well.
>>>>
>>>> Will keep everyone posted.
>>>>
>>>> Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>