Another story. My receiving arrays are out in a front horse pasture, with a 300 foot driveway dividing that. It is almost time to take down those antennas. The farmer across the road and we have a tradeoff. For the topband season I put up the antennas. When it is springtime they come down and the farmers horses arrive to eat the grass. In winter when the snow is several feet deep to clog up our driveway and my old 1946 Jeep and snowplow does't do the job, the farmer plows us out to the outside world with his big farm tractor. Then in following seasons the cycle repeats. I have a young guy (35) to help me (91) to help with this so it gets done in time for dxing or horses. I have metal mushrooms to cover the antenna support pipes, which hold the vertical antenna fiberglass support rods. The covers are made of farm harrow disks with a metal rod welded on to go down into the antenna support pipes. The pipes stick up a bit and so the cover keeps the horses from tripping on the pipes, and are sturdy enough if they walk on them. And the pipes are ready in the pasture for the next TB season.
As many have said dxing hasn't been so hot. It was ok early in the season to Europe, but not much after that. In earlier seasons there would be logpages full almost every evening, with another array that way, and usually quite a few new ones. The arrays did pick up Africa like locals, but couldn't hear them this season. Only 3 new ones. Big 11,000 foot mountain chain in the path to PJ7, but did finally qso them on 160, using a K7TJR 70x320 foot rectangle array, even with A of 28 Well there are many more stories but enough for tonight. 73 Bob W7LR in MT. . _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
