[SCCC] W6VPH SK

[Glenn Rattmann]

Marty has this correct.  I did hear that ZZK 
later shortened the boom of the big 20 to 
something like 134ft, and reduced the number of 
elements to 12 or so... .  It then worked 
"better."  I believe this antenna/tower was on 
the cover of CQ mag in the late 60s or early 70s.  I could look, but I'm lazy.

The surplus FAA tower description is 
correct.  The story I heard from K6RR was that 
there were three of these that came available, 
and he and ZZK acquired two of them.  They were 
self-supporting towers, no guys, and very heavy duty construction.
Bob's 5 element 40 had 100ft of aluminum tower as 
the boom, not Rohn 25.  It was basically a copy 
of the homebrew antenna in Fallbrook, first 
erected by W6HJT in the 60s (cover of QST).  The 
site later was owned by W6VSS / K6UA until Dale's 
death in  2007.  I believe the 40 was destroyed 
by windstorms in the early 70s, and Dale did not 
rebuild it.  I purchased some items from Dale's 
widow, and remember seeing the carcass of the old 
aluminum-tower boom in the metal boneyard.

--Glenn K6NA

At 09:53 AM 7/2/2024, Marty Woll wrote:

>I saw it during a visit to WA6ZZK.  It had 14 
>elements on a 150-foot boom and sat on a 125-foot-high former FAA or VOA tower.
>
>Marty N6VI
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: SCCC [mailto:sccc-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Michael Tope
>Sent: Tuesday, July 2, 2024 9:42 AM
>To: sccc at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: [SCCC] W6VPH SK
>
>Yeah, Steve, I recall Bud talking about a very large 20 meter rotary
>Yagi at WA6ZZK's QTH in Lancaster. I think it was on some sort of
>windmill tower, but I don't recall the boom length.
>
>As to phone vs CW, when you have an antenna that big perhaps the idea is
>to show that your are the biggest fish in the biggest pond 🙂.
>
>73, Mike W4EF...............................
>
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