[Elecraft] Ham radio as a side dish

[Terry Schieler]

Andy,
Pick up a copy of the DVD "North Atlantic Crossing".  Two young men used
what appeared to be an Icom HF rig for long distance communications on HF
air bands to contact various European airports on their route to Norway.
They installed a large, salt water fishing reel in the modified, single
engine  Mooney, complete with stranded copper antenna wire.  When time to
use an HF band, they cranked out just enough (pre-marked) wire from the
fishing reel to hit the resonant frequency.  I can't recall where/how the
antenna wire exited the aircraft but got the impression that, among other
mods (extra capacity fuel tanks, etc) the antenna device was approved for
that flight.

(www.flightfilms.com)  (800) 510-1017

Terry, W0FM

-----Original Message-----
From: ANDY DURBIN [mailto:a.durbin at msn.com] 
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2018 1:55 PM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] Ham radio as a side dish

"Drag a wire behind you like they tow banners."


If it were as simple as you suggest then I think a few of us would be doing
it. Picking up banners with an aircraft in flight is a skill that most
pilots don't have. It would be far better to use a retractable antenna.
However, a legal installation of any sort of antenna extension/retraction
mechanism on an aircraft with a standard airworthiness cert would be a
significant challenge.


(No banner experience but I do have lots of time towing gliders and flying
jumpers)


73,

Andy k3wyc