Topband: Strange propagation - antenna suggestions

[mstangelo at comcast.net]

Dave,

I know your dilemma. In addition we are also getting older and most of us likely will have to downsize or relocate. 

I also like to build and fiddle around with my own station. Operating another person's not my cup of tea. RHR takes the Amateur out of Amateur radio for me.

I've learned to be adaptable. I'd look at putting up wire antennas and antennas which can be easily disassembled or moved.

I started in the hobby at my parent's house on the South Shore of Long Island. My budget was also limited at the time so I stuck to wire antenna. The area is susceptible to hurricanes so I decided to put my wire antennas on double halyards so that they could survive low winds and be easily taken down during a storm.

After college and was able to purchase decent equipment but I moved to Queens, New York to an "Archie Bunker" type house with a postage stamp size lot. I could not get an effective signal out on the HF bands. Since we frequented parks and beaches I concentrated on portable operation. This was effective on the higher HF bands but I still wanted to get back on 160.

I relocated to central New Jersey near the ocean and convinced my wife to get a house with an acre lot. Again, I decided to put up wire antennas for a different reason Our area does not have a history of hurricanes; I just did not want to go through the hassle of getting a town permit for a tower. My transmitting antenna is an Inverted-L about 60 feed high with 32 radials. I have various loop receiving antennas.

Anyway, along comes Hurricane Irene, a once-in-a-lifetime storm, followed the following year by Sandy. In both instances I was able to take down the antennas and get them back up after cleaning the yard. Fortunately I did not have major tree damage but I did have to relocate the far end of the L. In both cases I get the station running before power was restored.

It is not my ideal setup. I feel it is the minimum required for 160 meter operation but one has to make pragmatic decisions.

This is probably the largest lot I will ever have and since my daughter has one foot out of the house my wife is talking about downsizing. 

We'll try to get a place without restrictive covenants and in the meantime I'm studying designs for smaller transmitting antennas such as K9YC's "Getting on 160 from a Small Lot (and Larger Ones Too)".

Good Luck.

Mike N2MS

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Blaschke, w5un <w5un at wt.net>
To: Carl Luetzelschwab <carlluetzelschwab at gmail.com>; topband <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Thu, Jan 14, 2016 1:15 am
Subject: Re: Topband: Strange propagation

I will say this:
operating a remote station (for money) owned and managed by someone else 
will never be as satisfying as operating your own station, built by your 
hands. But than again, if you have no station, and are unable to build 
one up, what's your choice? I built (and rebuilt) a beautiful station 
and antenna system here over the past fifteen years, only to see much of 
it destroyed by storms in recent years. Now I am unable to rebuild anymore.

Dave, W5UN