[TowerTalk] Help in planning a new QTH

[Peter Dougherty]

At 00:18 15-03-05, SJ W3TX wrote:
>It sounds as if you have accomplished alot from your present location. 
>Congratulations!

Hi Scott,

Thanks <g>. It's been "fun" to say the least.

>I recommend that the very first thing you do is purchase Fred K1VR's book
>"Antenna Zoning" from ARRL.  The bottom line is that you don't want to buy
>any land that will be challenging to build your antenna support structure
>on.  The book is exceptional!

I will indeed take a look into this, but from what I've heard, our planned 
neighbourhood is free of CC&Rs, HOAs and even municipal regulations 
vis-a-vis towers. Of course, I will investigate the heck out of this before 
we sign anything!

>Also, get the ARRL Antenna Book and the upcoming 4th edition of ON4UN's
>Lowband Dxing.

I have the ARRL Antenna Book, but to be honest, that's reads like an 
engineering text and I'm really the furthest from that. I can get about 5 
minutes into that and my head starts hurting. I really do need something 
MUCH simpler, better illustrated and aimed at newbies, not graduate 
engineers. Maybe if I had a few less choices, but much better descriptions 
of how to build 'em, why one design works better than another, etc, I would 
understand it a little easier. I intend to pick up the ON4UN book at Dayton 
this year.

>Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I shall indeed, but I also think I'll pop back in here from time to time 
asking about towers and other aspects of this project etc. Never had one 
and frankly I just don't know where to start or what questions to ask 
(hell, the last time I was even near a decent tower was in 1974 and that 
was in my teenage years). Asking at Dayton last year got me nothing but a 
20 second answer and a very firm "come back and see us when you know what 
you want" feeling. I don't even know what I should budget for a decent 50 - 
60 footer, complete.



- pjd

W2IRT