Topband: Modeling the proverbial "vertical on a beach

[W9UCW--- via Topband]

I can only offer another anecdotal account to the subject. It started  44 
years ago when I, Steve, K9CQV (K0SX), Ken, W0KUS, and  Julius, K8HKB set up 
shop on San Andres Island and signed our calls  portable HK0 for a week. 
With the help of Victor, HK0AI we had a location at the  water's edge. We 
erected our 43 foot top loaded "Minooka Special" there with the  aluminum 
"dynamite blasting wire" radials draped off into the water. We ran  Drake twins and 
were amazed the reports from around the world and during the  CQWW 160 CW 
contest. We even ran a number of phone patches on 160  for islanders from 
that location.
 
Subsequently, I set up in a number of other  locations on San Andres over 
the next 20 years using several HK0 calls. I never  saw the same kind of 
success as that first trip until I located a palm tree  supported Minooka 
Special at the Bahia Marina near San Luis town, again at the  water's edge. It 
made a believer out of me. For a few of those years I operated  at HK0BKX. 
Pacho's location was downtown on the north end of the island, blocks  from the 
sea. It was like pulling teeth to get good reports on 160 from his  place.
 
Nevertheless, those are all fond memories. Pacho  finally came to the 
states and operated in Rose Pine, Louisiana as W5/HK0BKX for  a few years. He 
passed away about 15 years ago. He and I made a number of jaunts  together to 
islands and Mainland Colombia. Ham Radio always played a part in  those 
trips, but most of the wild stories I could tell about them had nothing to  do 
radio or verticals on the beach. Don't ask.
 
73, Best DX, Barry, W9UCW