[CQ-Contest] Proximity to other contest stn

[John Lash]

Thanks everyone for the advice.  We went back today to do a final
inspection, with checkbook in hand for making a deposit.  Turns out
there is a 300 acre parcel with a good sized pond to the northeast and
gently downhill toward EU, with a good amount of moist but not swampy
land just past the property.  This 300 ac will be "forever wild", and
is completely inaccessable except by horse or foot, and will never be
able to be developed.  (In other words, more beverage space than I
could ever possibly need!)  In short, I couldn't have dreamed of a
better location.  Our minds were all made up when suddenly the owner
came home and mentioned (with a slip of the tongue) the power lines at
the end of the street.  My heart skipped a beat or two, but I didn't
say anything except for prayer to myself that it was just a little 25
foot post with a piece of zip cord on it.  When we left, we drove to
the end of the street (about 75 feet, and there, through the woods,
was a big wide swath of deforested land with a superhighway of high
tension electricity on those massive 80 foot steel poles running right
through it!  Looked like it was installed pretty recently.  The wires
are probably 250 or 300, maybe 350 feet at most from the house.
Needless to say, my heart sank into my stomach.

Is it even worth driving up there with a receiver to see what I hear,
or should we just look elsewhere?  Aside from those wires, which are
to the southwest of the house, this place was a dream come true.  I
know the jury is officially still out on the health risks associated
with being near these things, but are there any experts here on that
topic?  Even if it isn't a health risk and even if there were no power
line noise (is that even possible?) could the lines become noisier in
later years?  (I am a big Sweepstakes fan, if that matters here.)

Needless to say, we were two mighty bummed individuals driving home
this evening.

John
WA2GO

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