[SADXA] I'm off of 30m and 80m for a while

[Tom Kramer]

Well Jim, despite losing the air time I think you will agree that you came 
out of that very lucky.   I have been lucky to get FT4JA on 30 and 80 and 
VK0 on 30 so I am pretty happy with those results.  Good Luck to you. 
K8BN's advice on FT4JA on 80 worked out for me.  I copied them from just 
after 0300Z for about 45 minutes.  73 Tom NQ7R


-----Original Message----- 
From: Jim W
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2016 2:13 PM
To: Southern AZ DX Association E-Mail Reflector
Subject: [SADXA] I'm off of 30m and 80m for a while

So I'm clearing brush near the house to make a work area for the
assembly of my new homebrew 12m/17m yagi and it's a great day. Clear
sky, temp in the mid-70's and the birds are chirping.  I clear out the
last of the prickly pear clumps, lay out the antenna elements on the
ground, and lower my 30m and 80m dipoles so that I can tilt over the
tower.  The cables have been safely laid underground, the rotor system
has been tested and is ready, and the lightning protection system is in
place.  The tower is cranked down and ready to be tilted over.  But I'm
short a wrench, so I go back to the garage to get it.  Then I notice
them.  The bees.

There are only a couple hundred visible but they're making a
considerable noise.  Instead of returning outside, I close the garage
door and go out into the front garden.  It's quieter but something still
isn't right.  Then I notice more of them.  A swarm. Tens of thousands of
bees have taken over a branch of the mesquite tree that's across from
the house.  That's it for me.  I go inside and summon the bee guys.
They come out, inspect the area, and tell me that the bees should be
quiet now that the temperature has gone up and they're tired.  The bee
removal guy is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, but the bee inspectors tell
me that he'll call first before leaving the office.  The bees are
looking for a place to build a new hive and they might leave the
mesquite tree for parts unknown tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, I've carefully recovered my tools and the antenna parts from
where I left them.  I'm not going to tempt fate by raising the dipoles,
since one of their wires is resting inside of the mesquite tree next to
the swarm.  If the antennas are pulled up, the mesquite branches will
start shaking.  So might the bees.  I don't know how many there are, but
they're in a clump over four feet long, shaped like the lower half of a
football that's been laid on the ground. It's about 18 inches thick at
the fattest part of the swarm.  This is a pretty impressive gathering of
insects.

So VK0EK and FT4JA will have to wait for a couple of days until the bee
situation is resolved.  I can still use my Yagi, so I still have the
usual HF bands and 40m at my disposal.  But there will be no QSOs on 30
and 80 from this QTH until after the bee situation is resolved.

73,  Jim  W9FI
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