"NM5K" wrote in message
...


But I really don't care for contest/field day type of
operating all that much.
snip

But generally, my idea of "field day" is kicking back in
one of my lawn chairs, sipping on a cold adult beverage,
and talking to all those good ole buoys on 75 or 40... :/

I'm headed that way, myself. This FD was no fun. I used to look forward to
it.

I was so busy making sure that I met all my responsibilities, I found only a
few hours to actually operate. This came after all the prep work, worry and
concern, including getting an all-electronic network log running. (That our
network logging worked perfectly in no way makes up for my having had
trouble sleeping for weeks leading up to FD.)

Next year, this job goes to somebody else.

"Sal"
(KD6VKW)

On 7/3/2012 6:15 PM, Sal M. O'Nella wrote:
"NM5K" wrote in message
...


But I really don't care for contest/field day type of
operating all that much.
snip

But generally, my idea of "field day" is kicking back in
one of my lawn chairs, sipping on a cold adult beverage,
and talking to all those good ole buoys on 75 or 40... :/

I'm headed that way, myself. This FD was no fun. I used to look forward to
it.

I was so busy making sure that I met all my responsibilities, I found only a
few hours to actually operate. This came after all the prep work, worry and
concern, including getting an all-electronic network log running. (That our
network logging worked perfectly in no way makes up for my having had
trouble sleeping for weeks leading up to FD.)

Next year, this job goes to somebody else.

"Sal"
(KD6VKW)



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.

"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"

On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 2:55:03 PM UTC-7, Sal M. O'Nella wrote:
"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"

This is Sal again. I don't know where my login data went.

I dropped out as club FD Chairman. It wasn't fun any more. I was so happy when I assembled the last of the material I needed to report to ARRL.

"Sal"

On 9/10/2012 12:14 AM, wrote:


This is Sal again. I don't know where my login data went.

I dropped out as club FD Chairman. It wasn't fun any more. I was so happy when I assembled the last of the material I needed to report to ARRL.

"Sal"


A man has to know his limitations.. :| chortle...

I was up at the dirt patch a couple of weeks ago, and my 80/40 antenna
is pretty much trashed.. And the coax was pretty much gone..
It started raining, so I left before I could do more investigating..
At first I thought someone stole it.. But then I noticed random
pieces of coax laying on the ground.. I think critters, probably
squirrels, must have ate it.. I'll have to look more when I'm
back up there later..
But I know I'm going to have to redo everything, including new
coax if I want to continue to jibber jabber on the radio when I'm
there.
I plan to go back up there around the end of October.
One reason I think it was squirrels, is they had been eating off
areas of coax jacket in the past.. I'd have to wrap chewed up areas
with electrical tape to keep the water out.
I may have to coat my coax with something squirrels don't like.

On 9/10/2012 1:25 AM, NM5K wrote:

I plan to go back up there around the end of October.
One reason I think it was squirrels, is they had been eating off
areas of coax jacket in the past.. I'd have to wrap chewed up areas
with electrical tape to keep the water out.
I may have to coat my coax with something squirrels don't like.


Coat it with dead squirrels.

"NM5K" wrote in message
...
On 9/10/2012 12:14 AM, wrote:

... the coax was pretty much gone..
It started raining, so I left before I could do more investigating..
At first I thought someone stole it.. But then I noticed random
pieces of coax laying on the ground.. I think critters, probably
squirrels, must have ate it.. I'll have to look more when I'm
back up there later..
But I know I'm going to have to redo everything, including new
coax if I want to continue to jibber jabber on the radio when I'm
there.
I plan to go back up there around the end of October.
One reason I think it was squirrels, is they had been eating off
areas of coax jacket in the past.. I'd have to wrap chewed up areas
with electrical tape to keep the water out.
I may have to coat my coax with something squirrels don't like.

Depending on the distance (which might mean an unacceptable
added expense), you could run PVC. I put in a 10 ft satellite dish
in the mid 1980's, running all the cables in PVC because they
needed to be buried for appearance. (The stuff was called "direct
burial, but ... I'm a skeptic.) The point is that it was still fine after
about two decades when I decommissioned it about five years
ago in favor of digital cable. Both ends opened down to keep
moisture from dribbling in but yet letting the inside "breathe" with
temperature changes.

One caution: Just because the cable fits into the coax, you may
not be able to pull the whole length due to internal drag friction.
I had to cut my PVC and thread the cables throught the first
section, then a PVC union and then the second section. Finally,
I glued the cut ends into to the union. If you use big enough
PVC, you won't have my problem.

"Sal"
(KD6VKW)
"Vicious Killer Weasel"