[MRCA] Portable Antenna Woes

[W2HX]

Hi all, 

On vacation in ocean isle, NC we rented a beach house here (we come for a week most years).  This time I brought a radio with me, an HF manpack.  I also brought two adjustable dipoles which I've never played with before.  The first is a Collins 637T-2 which is a really neat item. Here is a picture of one for your reference (this one is a -1 mine is a -2):

http://www.qsl.net/n/n4xy/ANT_Collins_637T-1.html

I was very excited to use this one since it is so neat. Pulled out one side for 80m everything good! Began to pull out the other side and realized the disc with the frequency markings was just spinning as opposed to being geared to indicate how much has been paid out.  Anyone ever have that problem and fix it?  So all I could do was eyeball that side as best I could. Actually the lot kinda dictated how much I could pull out on that leg anyway without risking the garrotting of the family.

Made no contacts on 80 or 20 with that antenna but heard lots of neat stations, some lighthouses, and some in Europe, Canada, etc.

In preparation of attempting to join the M&S net Tuesday, I also put up another antenna I've owned for several years but never played with. It is the AT-1743.  This is basically a dipole that has frequencies printed on little bits of "shrink wrap" along the length of each leg. Very convenient to roll it out to the desired frequency and go.
http://n3oc.dyndns.org/AT-1743_MANUAL.pdf

Well, this antenna had a similar problem! The little bits of shrink wrap (which aren't actually shrink wrap) were loose! They move all around so it was hard to trust the lengths.  I think when I get home I'll see if I can find some transparent/translucent heat shrink, re-measure all of the markers and cover the markers with heat shrink. Anyone else have this antenna with the same ailment?

I think it is a very good idea these antennas. I also have a GRA-50 which I like a lot too, but that kit requires a measuring tape. I wonder if I could crimp on some kind of metal marker on the reels of the GRA-50. But that might interfere with the ability to reel it up onto the RC-432 well.

Tomorrow, listen out for W2HX portable 4!

73, Eugene W2HX