[TowerTalk] Fw: $$$ and contesting stations

["Gene Fuller" <w2lu@rochester.rr.com>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gene Fuller" <w2lu@rochester.rr.com>
To: <Cqtestk4xs@aol.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 10:40 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] $$$ and contesting stations


> Bill -
> I agree 100%. As an old airline ad once read - "Getting there should be 
> half the fun"  !!
> There is plenty of good reference material available for those who are 
> willing to get their hands dirty and scrounging parts can be lots of fun 
> and lead to good contacts. e.g. - My 8 x 20 ft heavy duty tower sections 
> were $20 worth of "scrap" steel - just to "get it off the books", EHS and 
> anchors from local power company scrap yard, hard line is from the 
> building of a defunct communications company and my LP and amp were home 
> brew DYI projects. Just compete within your own framework.
> Gene / W2LU
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <Cqtestk4xs@aol.com>
> To: <TOWERTALK@contesting.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 9:23 AM
> Subject: [TowerTalk] $$$ and contesting stations
>
>
> > It's not always a matter of $$, although that does help.  I've  seen
> > presentations of $100,000 installations that were foolishly designed. 
> > I've seen
> > great stations designed on a shoestring out in the boonies.
> >
> > Many guys sacrifice living near "stuff" to get either lots of land  or to
> > be on a remote mountain top.  These same guys scrounge hardline, pick  up
> > hardware from estate sales and roll lots of their own hardware.
> >
> > A great contest station CAN cost hundreds of thousands, but through
> > sacrificing convenience and being a wise builder, it can be done much 
> > cheaper.
> > Example 1:  I had to drive to a location about 250 miles from  my QTH,
> > wrestle around with piles of hardline tangled up with all kinds of BIG 
> > spools
> > laying over them to get some 7/8 hardline....1600 feet of it.   Cost: 
> > price
> > of the gas, my time, and a $100 donation to the guys  charity.
> >
> > Example 2:  I picked up 310 feet of Rohn  65, cost...$3900.  I had to 
> > make
> > four or five 130 mile roundtrips to  move it with a borrowed trailer and 
> > my
> > truck.  Total cost around $4200 and  my time.
> >
> > Example 3:  Half a dozen 1000 ft rolls of 1/4 and 5/16 inch  EHS from a
> > surplus place for less than 8 cents a foot.  Yes, I had to drive  pretty 
> > far to
> > get them, but I saved a bundle.
> >
> > I'm sure others on the list could come up with even better results  than
> > mine, but the point is you don't have to be rich to have a great
> > station...just resourceful and willing/able to spend some time searching 
> > for  great
> > deals.
> >
> > K4XS/KH7XS  Cheap ham...aren't most of us?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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