"NM5K" wrote in message
...



FD can be a lot of work. I know dragging a tower and beam
out there got to be a tad strenuous.
And I rarely used the thing myself..
I string up dipoles for me, which is pretty easy to deal with.
But even with an easy setup, I still don't care for contest
type operating all that much. Just not really my cup of java..
I skipped this year again. Too busy with work, even if I wanted
to go.
If I do any more in the future, like I say, I'll probably just
hang out on my own property. That way I can operate at a leisurely
pace, and if I get burned out, I can just quit and go do something
else for a while.


Amen to that!

Last year, I put up three 30-foot poles to support a 20m dipole at its
optimum height. This year, I thought I was gettting off easy with just one
pole. Maybe so, but with the top section having a crossarm and the extra
weight of the elements and tethers, getting that sucker up the same 30 feet
was still an adventure. I'm thinking of something simpler next year and not
ruling out being a home station for the first time ever.

"Sal"