neighborhoods, there was a wave of enormous CB antennas
with HUGE open-wire loading coils at the base, ones that
appeared to be made of 3/8" copper tubing or something

I don't see many of them anymore, but they're most fun to see
on top of a subcompact.

I still see them occasionally, often on the top of big
old Suburbans for some reason. Not exactly a practical
thing--I imagine they're constantly raking trees and
overhangs and such. But I often get a grin when I see
the things. :-)

I got into mobile HF about a half-dozen years ago; I had
just bought a white 2000 Chevy Impala, mounted a 706 in
the glove compartment--or, as my wife pointed out with
real pain in her voice, where the glove compartment used
to be. :-) I had a trunk-lip-mounted Hamstick for 20 or
15, an MFJ mag-mount 6-meter quarter-wave, and a little
2meter mag mount on that car.

For a while I was puzzled at how many people in front of
me would abruptly slow down when I got behind them. Then
I realized some of the local police departments had
bought white Impalas, and seeing one festooned with
antennas (more and bigger antennas than actual police
cars) apparently made people think I might have been
"The Law." I left the 706 in that car for several
years--it was easier than un-shoehorning it out of the
dash--but took the antennas off as soon as I quit using
HF from the car, to quit scaring people. :-)


_______________________________________________
Ken Kuzenski AC4RD ken . kuzenski at duke .edu
_______________________________________________
All disclaimers apply, see? www.duke.edu/~kuzen001