Topband: New list member intro

[Bill Cromwell]

Hi,

..and thanks for including me on the Top Band reflector. My interest in
electronics generally and ham radio in particular goes back to the 1950s
although I didn't get my license until 1980. No elmers were available
and life had other things taking too much of my energy for a lot of
years. I did listen to the ham bands a lot and even home brewed some
gear for it - just no transmitting. Now the farm is gone and with it the
space for large antennas. I used to have a very large antenna for 80
meters way up in old growth trees and ran traffic but now my lot is 100
by 100 feet and no possibility of routing antennas beyond my own
property line. At least there are no antenna covenants here!


I have yet to transmit on the 160 meter band and the only thing holding
me back is a suitable antenna. I have reviewed some information about
the 160 meter band and I am encouraged for the most part. Before there
were two meter FM repeaters everywhere the 160 meter was one of the
bands used for mobile communication. Now antennas for mobile use are
really *puny* on 160 meters! Hams still managed to communicate with very
modest power levels in mobile operation. I suspect I can get on 160 and
80 meters with a combination of a helically wound mast and top,
horizontal wire (along with the ground that I already have in place).
Something like that should easily outperform any mobile antenna. I used
a helically wound vertical on higher frequency HF bands in the 1970s and
it worked well for me. Rhombics and such are just out of the question
for me and now that I'm in retirement and rebuilding a compromised heart
I won't be going back to those salad days.

I will be doing antenna construction as an autumn project and with any
luck I'll have my 160 and 80 meter bandswitches in use here. A modest
100 foot loop with a balanced line and a Johnson tuner is serving me
well on 40 through 10 meters. I have a couple of receivers and a couple
of transmitters that will get the job done as well as a transceiver that
can give me QRP through ~100 watt operation including a Johnson Ranger
and a Heath DX 100. The Atlas 180 will give me SSB as well as portable
operation. I hope to join you on the air soon.

73,

Bill  KU8H