[TowerTalk] Avoiding connectors.

[K3BU@aol.com]

David K3BHJ wrote:

> .... and then we read somewhere that some iconoclast VE1
>  connects his hardline pieces together with ... WHAT???? cable clamps???? 
and
>  hose clamps???? ...


Yep, stainless steel hose clamps to clamp shield of cable TV hardlines and 
soldered the center conductors. The weather protection is cut off plastic 
soda bottle upside down over the "joint"). (No nitrogen either.)
    That is at VE1ZZ station that I managed to operate to world #1 in CQ WW 
and WPX contests on 160 and 80 last three years. The thing that failed last 
contest was the bloody SO259 on the antenna switch, fried and shorted out the 
bakelite or whatever that yellowish stuff is. 
    Jack must have spent "fortune" on his antenna installation, somewhere 
around $30. Rest - towers, ropes, wires, cables are freebies from the 
junkyards. (I have many pictures, I will have article about ZZ on my page 
soon.) For radials he uses steel guy cables (rust half time - 100 years) and 
TV hardline, still plenty of that on piles. Jack even built his own tractor 
that he used to clear the brush. 
    So there is no need for all that "investment" just snoop around the 
junkyards and save the money for the stuff that will make XYL happy :-) Oh 
yea, he makes his own towers, from the discarded bent sections, takes them 
apart, straightens them, screws them back together and uses nylon ropes for 
guy "wires." "Gin pole" is the two tree trunks tied together with ropes. Them 
crazy cheap Canucks, Eh!
    The only defficiency there is that he hears the stuff 4 hours before they 
can hear him. Very frustrating hearing 160 bubling with Euros around 2 pm and 
they are ignoring you!   :-)

Yuri, K3BU
as CG1ZZ, VX3BMV/1, VE3BMV/1, VE1BY, VA1A, VC1A @ VE1ZZ
 <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/k3bu/TeslaRC.htm">Tesla Radioclub</A> 

--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com