Hi Lou,
No, you are not alone in having to consider cost when building
your station. The people who do not are the exception to the rule.
However, as with most of us, you do the best you can according to
your limitations (whether they be money, size of your yard, attitude of
your xyl toward antennas, etc.). Often this involves starting small and
building over the years, buying used equipment, adding just a little year
by year, etc. In the end, you will probably never have quite what you
dreamed about, but there is more to do. At some point, you will realize
that you must also maximize your personal skills and learn also to make
use of whatever little advantages come your way that don't necessarily
come to other operators. After all, there is no level playing field.
I'd like to point to the examples of KQ2M and KT3Y, both of whom
have spent many years posting outstanding contest scores while competing
with stations having big stacks of antennas. These folks did so with all
wire antennas. Yes, ALL WIRE antennas. They maximized everything they
had for skills, operating knowledge, etc. In the process they have
outdone many with better and bigger antennas.
73, Dave Clemons K1VUT
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