Re: Topband: Farming and Ham Radio don't mix too well.
I just got back from a nine day missions trip to the southern Haitian peninsula where we were getting a broadcast transmitter repaired and new tuning unit installed. They started rice farming around the 250 foot tower. As the farmers removed dirt and encountered existing radicals they simply cut them. See attached photo. You can see where they laid some new radicals. To the right is where new radicals were laid a while ago. 73 Mark K3MSB On Tue, May 14, 2019, 3:06 PM Gary Smith wrote: > An observation to share about buried > radials surfacing is, It surely has to > happen and it's likely impossible to > predict where & when they'll do that. > > I metal detect and sometimes in never > plowed sites, find ancient coins near the > surface and modern coins 12" down in the > same area. It happens this way so often, I > just can't reliably predict age by the > depth on the detector screen. > > Some sections of buried radials will > someday, probably surface. > > 73, > > Gary > KA1J > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector > _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Farming and Ham Radio don't mix too well.
An observation to share about buried radials surfacing is, It surely has to happen and it's likely impossible to predict where & when they'll do that. I metal detect and sometimes in never plowed sites, find ancient coins near the surface and modern coins 12" down in the same area. It happens this way so often, I just can't reliably predict age by the depth on the detector screen. Some sections of buried radials will someday, probably surface. 73, Gary KA1J _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Farming and Ham Radio don't mix too well.
I don't own a farm, just an oddly shaped suburban lot, and I'd like to assure you that I run over and chop up more radials than you ever will. Most of my radials also run over driveway etc and the most vulnerable places are where they transition between driveway and grass. My radials are mostly 14AWG and 18AWG stranded insulated wire and I've been patching them up with wire nuts in the places where I'm destined to hit them over and over again. There's little purpose in make a "permanent forever" patch at these locations because they will get hit by lawnmower again and again. It's been a very wet spring in Maryland and wires that I planted 3-5 inches below ground, sometimes in the dampest muddiest conditions they find their way to the surface again. These, which I intend to plant underground, I will clean up the broken ends and solder and seal properly and put back underground. In addition to the above hazards, deer run through my K9AY loop wires all the time. The top of the loops hangs from a tree with a pulley and counterweight so usually the deer run into the wire, counterweight goes up, they clear the wire, and counterweight goes back down and wire goes back up. But several times a year one or more stakes at the corners get pulled out, and the wear on the wire has finally gotten serious enough that it's time for me to make the loops again with new wire. Tim N3QE On Thu, May 9, 2019 at 2:45 PM terry burge wrote: > Hi folks, > > > I have been using the good weather here in Oregon to get quite a bit of > mowing done and the thought has occurred to me that farming and ham radio > don't mix. With my little Cub ST-100 I cut the 3 wire lead to my big tower > that goes to the Comteks 80 meter switch box; caught one of the radials for > the K9AY receive antenna; and wrapped up some of the temporary elevated > radials I had tried on my Hytower. All because I was cutting the grass and > weeds that are up to 2 feet tall or more. I like 'trying' to grow Cherry > trees and others as well as grape vines but with only 1 1/2 acres you know > I'll run into an antenna some where along the way. Luckily I knew > immediately about the Comtek switch box lead and that is a simple repair. > The others were obvious right away too. > > > Oh well, that's ham radio as some small size farming here in Oregon for > me. Loving this weather but of course we do need the rains too. Seems like > Calif. and NM have been getting Oregon weather and visa versa. But in > Oregon if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will > changesometimes. > > > Terry > > KI7M > > > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector > _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: Farming and Ham Radio don't mix too well.
Hi folks, I have been using the good weather here in Oregon to get quite a bit of mowing done and the thought has occurred to me that farming and ham radio don't mix. With my little Cub ST-100 I cut the 3 wire lead to my big tower that goes to the Comteks 80 meter switch box; caught one of the radials for the K9AY receive antenna; and wrapped up some of the temporary elevated radials I had tried on my Hytower. All because I was cutting the grass and weeds that are up to 2 feet tall or more. I like 'trying' to grow Cherry trees and others as well as grape vines but with only 1 1/2 acres you know I'll run into an antenna some where along the way. Luckily I knew immediately about the Comtek switch box lead and that is a simple repair. The others were obvious right away too. Oh well, that's ham radio as some small size farming here in Oregon for me. Loving this weather but of course we do need the rains too. Seems like Calif. and NM have been getting Oregon weather and visa versa. But in Oregon if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will changesometimes. Terry KI7M _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
