Topband: High Dipoles and Bootlace Antennas

[Peter and Sally Cook]

All,

We're about to move to a new QTH in Singapore (this 1000sqft apartment =
'aint big enough for the 5 of us), so I've taken down my half wave =
dipole (strung between two condo blocks at 300ft). =20

To summarise, even taking into account the poor propagation this season, =
 it was not a great performer on topband at this very cluttered QTH =
(lots of very high buildings).  =20

The 75m version was a GREAT performer- managed good SSB QSO's with paths =
of 14400km with just 4 watts pep!

In it's place I put up a temporary 1/4 wave sloper made of thin hookup =
wire (attached to the window frame of my 10th floor apartment...using a =
bootlace  (I have a photo)) and BINGO- worked G3ZES (11000km) and LA3XI =
(10000km) that night and received good reports...fb.... =20
I have plans for a vertical at the new QTH.. which is less cluttered...  =
See you next season!

73's

Peter 9V1PC, Singapore  ""Sri OM must QRT nw XYL wants to use =
boots.""...

BTW- thanks to the excellent advice from Tom and Thomas (W8JI and KN4LF) =
the dipole, me and my gear survived the fierce thunderstorms we have =
here virtually every other day.  100kohm resistors across the dipole =
insulators to the building lightning protection to drain off the static, =
also spark gaps across the insulators and the feeder removed from the =
apartment building totally when not in use.. using 100lb nylon fishing =
line to reel-in the feeder when QRV.





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