[CQ-Contest] Verticals on the beach

[Tim Shoppa]

W9MS asks:
> Could someone explain exactly how that's done.

I was on Kauai a few weeks ago for NAQP CW. You can see pictures of my
beach QTH for NAQP CW at http://www.qrz.com/db/kh6/n3qe

I parked the family's rental minivan about 20 feet from the ocean on a
kinda calm beach with great exposure to the east (NA) in the first hour of
the contest (8 AM Hawaii time). A wooden board underneath the minivan tire
held the vertical erect.The antenna for 15M and 20M was a 16 foot
window-washing extension pole from Home Depot. Because the extension joints
had some plastic I used hose clamps and short wire segments at the
extension joints. I had 16 wire radials each 5M long splayed out that got
within a few feet of the ocean waves. Extension pole was raised and lowered
to switch between 15M and 20M.

I heard exceptionally well at this location, with very very low background
noise. I did not feel I was getting out very well but managed, with
patience and good ears from those on the far end, to make about 60 QSO's
this way over 4 hours.

Note that I was on for the first 4 hours of the contest when VOACAP gave
pretty much S0-S1 predictions between KH6 and most of NA. If I had been on
for the last hours of the contest, VOACAP gave much better prop predictions
for 20M, but realistically in NAQP most of the action has moved to
40M/80M/160M by that point.

I was also hearing an unknown JA-only CW contest very well on 20M above
14060. I tried to join in on the fun but was told "JA only". From my home
location I occasionally hear these JA-only events.

Many passers-by heard the beeping from the minivan and came over to visit
and chat about how they helped their dad build a Heathkit when they were
young. Would love to try field day this way sometime!

The other location I tried was from the top floor of the five floor wooden
condo on the rocks at Poipu. Antenna was a wire thrown out the window and
fed kind of as an "inverted vertical" against the windowframe. By
reversebeacon reports I was heard better in NA from this location, but the
RF Noise was horrible (constant S5 on 15M and 20M). I made about a dozen NA
QSO's from this location. I also worked KH2 and E51 very easy!

Tim N3QE