TopBand: Salt water helps...

Sat, 25 Apr 1998 22:19:59 +0200

At my beach QTH, on Cebu Island, all vertical antennas standing out in salt
water. Also, at high tide, water underneath the shack. On TopBand a Folded
Monopole attached alongside a 105 feet bamboo pole. Vertical part 100 feet;
the remaining 25 feet direct into the shack and a tuner. Pres (N6SS) named
this one "Wet Spaghetti Special". Also a 75 feet vertical, with a 4x33 feet
"hat" some 40 feet up. The Monopole is the winner. Not much of a ground
system, but some hundred feet of junk wire at sea bottom.

At the other QTH, less than half a mile from beach, similar antennas and
ground radials didn't work at all.

A bit tricky to keep all bamboo poles (a total of six) standing out in the
sea. Main problem is NOT the wind, but the local fishermen use sail into
all the guy wires.

Antennas almost invisible on pictures, but if you pay a visit to...

  http://home6.swipnet.se/~w-68234/du7cc.htm  

...you may catch a glimpse of the Wet Spaghetti Special (and the operator
himself).

73 ...thomas  ><> (Gone fishing...)

Who's DX? http://Welcome.to/DX

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