TopBand: EWEs

[Bill Tippett]

>From Phil YB0ARA/9 regarding his experience with EWE's.  I must add that he
has been hearing EXTREMELY well the past few weeks!  73,  Bill  W4ZV

"Just got off the topband reflector.  Interesting on the EWE write up.  The 
first quote is actually mine !  I agree with most that is said.  I have now 
finished winding the last two (2) matching transformers and weather proofed 
the terminating resistor boxes as well.  Also got the rest of the vertical 
done today at lunch time, being on a diet gives you more time to do these 
type of things !

Point of all this is rain and more rain, lot's of rain.  We got rain !  The 
ground is so wet under the first EWE it is hard to walk on.  That's why I 
also went and re-worked the other antennas as well.  The "output" of my EWE 
is so strong that most of the time I don't even run the pre-amp in the 
FT-1000 !  I do feed it with hard-line and the run is only 75 feet or so, I 
just expected a lot less signal !  It's got to be the ground.  When, and 
if, it ever dries out for a week or two I should be able to confirm that. 
 The rest of the EWE's (3 more) go up this weekend if all goes well and I 
don't get rained out again.  I can then check the front to back and 
different other qualities of the EWE as well.  Last night I again was 
hearing USA stations, very weak, but solid copy.  I have been working in 
the shack on the EWE's for the weekend, so I have not jumped in to see if 
the states are still coping me.  Maybe after I finish everything.  Do I 
recommend the EWE, only if you can't put up a beverage.  They work for me 
and it is an improvement, I really think you need a farm of beverages, 
EWE's and shielded loop's with a good switching network to cover all the 
bases !  By the way, the communications group came up with more ground rods 
and clamps for this weekend, one of them is working out the total weight of 
the copper I have in the ground around my house !  Should be interesting to 
see what he comes up with.  See you on the band."



--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/topband.html
Submissions:              topband@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  topband-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-topband@contesting.com