[nrv-hams] FW: today's hike

[Carter Craigie]

I could follow this, I think.
Anybody need any more help?
Thanks so much, Jim!
I knew you'd give us some of the details!!
73,
Carter N3AO

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 19, 2012, at 6:30 PM, Jim Cluett <jim at w1pid.com> wrote:

> Hi Gang... to answer Russ's question. I've used all kinds of antennas.
> Simple dipoles. W3EDP, random wires... but for the last couple of years I've been
> using half wave wires almost exclusively. and I use them as verticals.
> That's best for DX because of the angle of radiation. It's also the lightest,
> and easiest to put up. One throw. One wire. No counterpoise. It means
> you pretty much have to operate on higher bands. On 20 meters a half
> wave wire is 33 feet. It's a bit much to get a wire higher than that with a
> simple toss. (no slingshot). How to tune it? I have found the lightest,
> smallest, and easiest way is to use is the Par Electronics Endfedz tuner. I
> don't use the supplied wire, because it's heavier than I need for portable
> use. I use a teflon coated #22 wire. An Elecraft T1 tuner works fine to tune
> a half wave wire and so does an Emtech ZM-2. Yesterday on the Range Road
> hike I used a spool of wire that was almost 50 feet long. (But I didn't use all
> of it!) When I operated on 15 meters I unspooled 22 feet. I tie one end to the
> backpack for strain relief and then to the tuner (with some slack in between).
> When the wind moves the tree, it pulls the backpack NOT the tuner. I throw a
> line over the branch (using a little water bottle as a weight), then I pull the
> wire up with the line. Yesterday, I took 22 feet off the spool. Put a loop in the spool
> to keep any more wire from unraveling, then pull the spool (with trailing wire)
> into the air. Yesterday, I used the Elecraft T-1 tuner. When I operated
> on 20 meters, I unspooled 33 feet of wire. I can setup the whole thing in about
> 3 minutes. That's hard to beat.  I hope this answer isn't too complicated!
> vy best, Jim W1PID
> 
> On 10/19/12 2:52 PM, Carter Craigie wrote:
>> Hi Russ,
>> 
>> Jim uses simple long wires, I believe.
>> 
>> But I will "copy" him so he can answer your question.
>> 
>> I'm sure Jim will 'respond to all' with a more in-depth answer about the
>> antennas he uses.
>> 
>> I want to read what he writes, too!
>> 
>> 73,
>> 
>> Carter N3AO
>> 
>>  
>> From: Russ Abbey [mailto:russ.abbey at gmail.com]
>> Sent: October 19, 2012 2:19 PM
>> To: carter128 at verizon.net; NRV-Hams: A mailing list for members of the New
>> River Valley (VA) Amateur Radio Club.
>> Subject: Re: [nrv-hams] FW: today's hike
>> 
>>  
>> Carter, is Jim just using a single long wire or is he using a dipole?  I
>> can't tell from the pictures.  I do like his site, I think I have looked at
>> all of the exploring hikes he's done now.  Tell him thanks for me, it
>> reminds me of the fall and taking my Mother for a ride up to Maine, New
>> Hampshire, and Vermont for the leaves.  Always a lot of fun 4 wheeling up
>> there also.  I've done a lot of camping in the "back country" of those three
>> states and had a ball every time.  Wish I was an Amateur then though. :(
>> 73
>> Russ KG4MAV
>> 
>