[OKDXA] Wires

[Nelson Derks]

> One more comment on wires. After I retire and move away from the city with
> some more room-its gonna be Rhombic city! Those guys have blown me outta
my
> chair more than once.
>
> W5ATV

There was an article in QST a few years back about an Ohio Ham Club that
wrangled a Saturday visit into a decommissioned VOA site to borrow the
antenna farm for a few hours... We're talking Big-Ass Rhombics at 170'
boresighted straight into Europe and other selected locales. The results
were incredible. Domestic Q's were weak and gave little QRM despite a busy
band, but 100 watts worked everybody they could hear on The Continent and
they were the only US signal being worked in EU that day. Cool stuff...
But... You probably wouldn't want this as your only antenna. For multiple
Rhombics the wire comes cheap, but it's the towers that will sink a big hole
in the ol' bank account.

Then again, can you imagine K5YAA on a setup like that during a major DX
contest?

Not only would Jerry see a very high score, but would probably make the
coveted Worked All Andorra, Liechtenstein and San Marino Awards. Another
day, another dozen UA9's from Belarus... <yawn!>

- AC5UP