[COham] Tiger Tail antenna helpers

[Pat Lambert - W0IPL]

To those of you that are subscribers to both aresco and coham, please 
excuse my posting to both. I thought there might be several people that 
would be interested that subscribe only to coham.

Yesterday evening about 19:00 we had a lightning show going here so I 
decided to use an HT to listen to 146.97 net, from inside my house. It 
was copyable from selected locations with the "cat whisker" gain(?) 
antenna. I said to my self - self - (I sometimes talk to myself that 
way), I said self, what would happen iffin I changed to other antennas 
to see what can happen.    Turns out that the thirty dollar piece of 
s--- from HRO (the long cat whisker antenna with BNC connection) is only 
slightly better than a standard dual band rubber duck. Please keep in 
mind that I have two other long, SMA type cat whisker antennas that work 
VERY well and that is why I got the BNC version.

When I changed to a Diamond RH77C the signal went from S4 to S9 and when 
I added a "Tiger Tail" (home brew from a crimp ring connector that JUST 
fits over the BNC post and 19" of wire) it went to full scale! WOW, what 
a difference! That could easily be the difference between being heard 
full quieting and not even being into a repeater.

Just thought you might be interested.

Oops! I think I had better also mention that I got the Diamond antenna 
from HRO, so there is no implication that they are selling "less than 
optimal" equipment. Simply that one piece of equipment there "does not 
suit my needs". ;-)

Boy howdy, I have more disclaimers in this one note than I can believe. ;-)

C Ya
  Pat
-- 
ARES Truisms:
    1) PTT does NOT mean Push Then Think!
    2) Change is not necessary since survival is not mandatory.
    3) Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.
    4) Furious activity is no substitute for understanding.
    5) Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an
       emergency on the part of the rest of the net!