[VHFcontesting] Yagiphobia, Confusion and Infusion

[BEAMAR at aol.com]

I have to tell everybody about my first 432 contact.This was in  1995. I 
had purchased a FT 736. I did not have a 432 antenna. I ordered a  M2 yagi and 
was told that it would be a week or two before it arrived. I also  ordered 
heliax. The heliax arrived and I installed it on the tower and ran it  into 
the hamshack. I built a 432 dipole and stuck it out the top of the heliax.  
I got on 432.1 and called CQ. 
 
I was answered by a station about 100 miles south of me. "You can't call CQ 
 on this band and expect to have anyone answer you. You have to make  
arrangements on 2M and QSY to 432." OK. I replied,  "Name here is  Buddy, QTH is 
Treasure Island, FL, rig is a FT 736 and the antenna is a dipole  at 30 
feet." He comes back to me, "A dipole? You can't talk to anybody on a  dipole, 
on this band. You need a yagi to make contacts." OK.
 
I suspect others have had similar experiences to Tim and myself. 
 
Buddy WB4OMG
 
 
 
In a message dated 9/17/2013 11:17:42 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
aduhawk at comcast.net writes:

I bought a used IC-211, and a 4 element beam.  I had some old  RG8U.  I got 
the antenna up about 35 feet.  It was 1983.   Within an hour I was told 
that my radio was garbage (nobody thougth that my IC  720 was garbage) my beam 
was too small (4 element monobanders are monsters on  HF) and that I needed 
to get 1/2" hardline.

Not very welcoming.  Here's an aside.  In July I saw WB0TEM at  the CSVHF 
Conference.  I related to him that he was my first Aurora  contact.  That QSO 
was made with the above mentioned  equipment.