[BARC-List] BARC Question of the Week

[k1nun at netscape.net]

To many of us, "operating portable" means bringing along your hand held VHF radio when you go somewhere. What does "operating portable" mean to you?

To me, I had an experience just last week...

I was in Houston for a business trip and I brought my HT, of course, but I also brought a QRP 40m CW transceiver, antenna, and antenna tuner. Power supply too,  naturally. (Incidentally, everything fit into two plastic Chinese food containers.) Initially, I taped the dipole to the 4' x 8' window but it did not load up well, even with the tuner.

So, I taped the dipole to the ceiling. I didn't tell you that upon registering, I asked for the highest floor and a room that did NOT overlook the nearby computer company. So I taped away. Masking tape does not adhere well to ceiling plaster, but if you use enough tape, you can attach to almost anything. I figured masking tape would be easy to remove and would leave no residue. I wondered if the end of my dipole that was about 12" from the fire/smoke alarm would set it off. I thought it would be an interesting science experiment. (The experiment failed, which was good!)

The antenna ran in a loop on one leg, and fairly straight on the other, although it did dangle a bit. I pasted and posted and placed "Do Not Disturb" signs everywhere so the chambermaid would leave all alone. I expected the FBI to be in my room the next day.

Anyhow, I heard only two stations and no Caribbean broadcasters. I attributed the silence to the metal lath in the plaster that was absorbing all signals and shielding me from the outdoors. I tried calling and calling for two nights before tearing it down.

Little did I know that the day before my trip, a coronal mass ejection (CME) had taken place, effectively putting a damp sponge on the ionosphere and leaving all HF quiet!

Will I do it again? Of course. I still have the Chinese food containers! And that's what "operating portable" means to me. What about you?

73,
ERIC
K1NUN

__________________________________________________________________
Switch to Netscape Internet Service.
As low as $9.95 a month -- Sign up today at http://isp.netscape.com/register

Netscape. Just the Net You Need.

New! Netscape Toolbar for Internet Explorer
Search from anywhere on the Web and block those annoying pop-ups.
Download now at http://channels.netscape.com/ns/search/install.jsp