[R-390] Small Voodoo Antenna

[Rbethman]

I can't even begin to equal it!

My first experience in the 1950's, (Give me a 'little' break - I'm only
54!), My Uncle was living in the bedroom in the attic area.  He had a
S-38.  I got mesmerized just listening to it.  He even let me take knob
in hand to search around.

Bob - N0DGN

Don and Diana Cunningham wrote:

>Fantastic story, Harry!!  Remember my first rig, an Knight Kit Span Master
>that wasn't much more than a crystal rig, but still introduced me to the
>world of shortwave radio.  I built it, and after help troubleshooting, a 10
>year old boy was amazed at what he could hear!!  Thanks for the memories,
>Harry.
>73,
>Don, WB5HAK
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Harry Joel" <hcjoel at direcpc.com>
>To: <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
>Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2004 7:20 PM
>Subject: [R-390] Small Voodoo Antenna
>
>
>  
>
>>a bit of history about antennas, if you care.
>>
>>As a youngster (1943) I was fascinated about anything radio related.
>>    
>>
>Living in a boardinghouse for out-of-town highschool boys, some of us got
>into a contest (I could call it now a DX kind) to see who could pull in the
>most distant AM station using a crystal set. Chrystal sets were the only
>type of receiver we could indulge in (private listening, small, no AC power,
>etc). We had them on the small bedside table.  Antennas!!! where to put
>them? Most just had a short hank of wire laying under the bed. There were
>two tall and unused flag poles about 50 yards in front of the building. My
>bed was next to the second floor window and reading about long-wire antennas
>I decided to "hoist" my antenna up there. On a week-end, with all the other
>boys gone home, I put a small wire loop around one pole, affixed a porcelain
>egg and attached one end of the antenna wire. Then attached a string to the
>loop and hoisted it up to the top (30 plus feet). Doing the same on the
>other flag pole, but just fed the wire through the eye of the insulator so
>it could move. Went up to the fourth floor attic and threw a long string to
>the ground to hoist the loose end of the antenna up. Down to attach the wire
>to the string then up again to the attic. Attached another insulator next to
>the roof line, then tightened up good on the antenna wire. Down at ground
>level I yanked hard on the halyard of pole number one to break the string.
>Now I had my long wire. Fed the down leg through the window. Presto. I won
>the DX contest by routinely receiving a strong signal from BBC London at my
>location in upper Bavaria. This was only possible when ALL AM stations shut
>down during air raid warnings. The other contestants wanted to know how I
>got the antenna up there. I led them to believe that I shimmied up on both
>poles. They were suitably impressed. PS: Listening to BBC was considered a
>criminal act by the Nazi powers, which made my private listening even more
>enjoyable. I can still here the station break audio of a deep kettle drum
>spelling out the V for victory morse code. They had a regular program on BBC
>named English by Radio which I enjoyed a lot.
>  
>
>>I have other early radio memories, but this is my
>>    
>>
>favorite______________________________________________________________
>  
>
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>>
>
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-- 
<                      Bob Bethman - N0DGN
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| N0DGN AMRadio Manassas, VA    |    REAL Tube Radio and AM        |
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