[GCARC] Don't Give up on Radio

Sun Oct 19 22:26:20 EDT 2025

Hi all,
Excellent ideas all for Randy.
I have another possible solution, picnic table or patio mount screwdriver antenna, www.kj7u.com. Scroll down the page, there is a pic of the table mounted version. There's a 12v tuning control accessory, you find the low SWR on each band and can mark it on the large coil tube (it's transparent plexitube).
Designed for mobile installation, but works great with a small tripod or mount on your patio, has about a 12ft whip, and it's basically a huge coil with a motor.
I had thoughts of hooking up mobile but decided not to bother, but it makes an easy setup from the car with a tripod for something like POTA.
I was all set to take it on a family vacation in NC back in July, made up a pair of tuned radials for each of the main bands (but decided too many family things going on so did not operate).

>From my garage, I worked several EU, Australia, and Japan on 20m CW, 100w.

So it's a decent hookup, and works in a variety of spots (probably not the attic because of the whip length).

73
Darrell AB2E

> On 10/19/2025 9:53 PM EDT MARK GOTTLIEB KK2L via GCARC <gcarc at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> 
>  
> It looks there is an attic in this house and it would support something like this  https://ultimaxantennas.com/product/ultimax-100-end-fed-antenna-80m-to-6m-h-o-a-choice/ which I used for years in my attic and made thousands of contacts.  One can buy a version as short as 24'.  Yes, this is a compromise antenna, but it WILL work for sure.  No one will know it's up there, and you will still have HF capability.  The only limiting factor is if there is metal sheathing inside the roof.  Even if the roof will not accommodate a longer antenna in a straight line, one can still bend it around the space in a zig zag pattern which I also successfully deployed in my attic which only has a  40' length.  A version of a G5RV dipole is another antenna I had in my attic.  Finally, if you have the money and space, you can mount one of these https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/mzz-baby-a which will also work well within an attic.
> 
> 73
> Mark
> KK2l
> 
>  
> > On 10/19/2025 6:57 PM EDT Jeff One <djgrath1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > 
> >  
> > all,
> > Randy needs an intervention! Looking at his house on Google, he does not have much land for big HF antennas. So I think attic antennas are the next best thing! Jim Wright N2GXJ and Gary Mirkin WA3SVW know all about attic antennas. They have had great success with those type of antennas.
> > 
> > Does anyone else have some ideas for Randy?
> > 
> > Thanks
> > 
> > D. Jeffrey Garth
> > 621 Greenbriar Drive
> > Williamstown, NJ 08094-1149
> > 73, WB2ZBN
> > Club Publications
> > www.w2mmd.org
> > 
> > "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life" - Confucius
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: gcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:gcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Karl Frank W2KBF via GCARC
> > Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2025 13:05
> > To: 'GCARC Mail List'
> > Subject: [GCARC] Don't Give up on Radio
> > 
> > Randy KC3VCC,
> > 	It would be a shame to give up on HF after earning your license.   In my early days, I used to dangle a wire out of my apartment window and used an antenna tuner.
> > If you can't put up a good antenna at home, how about tagging along with someone who does Parks On The Air?
> > 	Or maybe even squeezing it into your car?  
> > 	Karl W2KBF
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: gcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net <gcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Randy via GCARC
> > Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2025 12:31 PM
> > To: Leonard Rust <lenrust at gmail.com>
> > Cc: GCARC Mail List <gcarc at mailman.qth.net>
> > Subject: Re: [GCARC] Log entry
> > 
> > I’m not going for awards.
> > I’ll never get them as I don’t even have an antenna up for my radio.
> > In fact, I’m probably going to sell my DX10 and everything else since I can’t use it This was more about the memory.
> > I got to speak to 4 little scouts about 10 years of age, who were thousands of miles away.
> > It was a cool experience.
> > One I had with a $20 handheld.
> > My DX10 cost me over $1600 and I have yet to use it.
> > It’s just collecting dust.
> > Time to let it go.
> > 
> > > On Oct 19, 2025, at 11:42 AM, Leonard Rust <lenrust at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > 
> > > QRZ will let you log them, they just don't count towards awards.
> > > 
> > > You can log it as a Digital Voice contact.
> > > 
> > > You can also note that it's a JOTA contact in the comments field.
> > > 
> > > Len
> > > W2LJR
> > > 
> > > 
> > > On Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 8:57 PM Christopher Prioli AD2CS <cpprioli at gmail.com <mailto:cpprioli at gmail.com>> wrote:
> > >> Repeater qso's are generally not logged...
> > >> 
> > >> 73 de
> > >> 
> > >> -- Chris   AD2CS
> > >> *GCARC VE Team Liaison*
> > >> *GCARC Education Committee Chair*
> > >> *GCARC Membership Committee Chair*
> > >> *Member, GCARC Board of Directors*
> > >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> > >> Christopher P Prioli
> > >> 648 W Holly Ave
> > >> Pitman, NJ  08071
> > >> 1-856-689-6783
> > >> www.ad2cs.com <http://www.ad2cs.com/>
> > >> 
> > >> On Sat, Oct 18, 2025, 15:36 Randy via GCARC <gcarc at mailman.qth.net <mailto:gcarc at mailman.qth.net>> wrote:
> > >> 
> > >> > Question.
> > >> > I QSO’d with an operator out of England this morning who was at a 
> > >> > Scout Jamboree doing JOTA.
> > >> > He was teaching young children about HAM radio and allowing them to talk.
> > >> > I was using my 5 Watt Explorer QRZ-1 handheld and connecting via 
> > >> > 70cm on a repeater in Philadelphia.
> > >> > The repeater is W3WAN and is AllStar Link.
> > >> > Is this a contact I can log on QRZ.com?
> > >> > If so, what mode do I use for the log?
> > >> > Thanks
> > >> > Randy
> > >> > KC3VCC
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