Andy, Pick up a copy of the DVD "North Atlantic Crossing". Two young men used what appeared to be an Icom HF rig for long distance communications on HF air bands to contact various European airports on their route to Norway. They installed a large, salt water fishing reel in the modified, single engine Mooney, complete with stranded copper antenna wire. When time to use an HF band, they cranked out just enough (pre-marked) wire from the fishing reel to hit the resonant frequency. I can't recall where/how the antenna wire exited the aircraft but got the impression that, among other mods (extra capacity fuel tanks, etc) the antenna device was approved for that flight.
(www.flightfilms.com) (800) 510-1017 Terry, W0FM -----Original Message----- From: ANDY DURBIN [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2018 1:55 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Elecraft] Ham radio as a side dish "Drag a wire behind you like they tow banners." If it were as simple as you suggest then I think a few of us would be doing it. Picking up banners with an aircraft in flight is a skill that most pilots don't have. It would be far better to use a retractable antenna. However, a legal installation of any sort of antenna extension/retraction mechanism on an aircraft with a standard airworthiness cert would be a significant challenge. (No banner experience but I do have lots of time towing gliders and flying jumpers) 73, Andy k3wyc ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
