On Thu, 2012-08-30 at 12:55 -0400, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote: > Short Version: ---snip--- > > 2) Let's go visit some small lots. ---snip--- > > Long version: ---snip--- > I think there is a lot about "restricted circumstances" that some either > don't understand or find hard to identify with. Your experience is
Right On! ---snip--- > > Talking of one typical FCP user in Texas, if he extends the FCP wires to > 1/4 wave either side, on the west he'd have to negotiate with his next TWO > neighbors to run wire across both back yards. And as he's on a corner > boundary lot, the east wire would be across the subdivision boundary > street, across the boundary park strip, over the fence and into the > southbound right driving lane of a limited access parkway. At my place I > could put up the north extension, but the south extension would be out in > the service road right of way for US 64 Highway. Try negotiating > something with NCDOT. > > To illustrate matters of scale, in the Texas subdivision that I mentioned > above, according to Google Earth, clearing property for the FCC 430 foot > diameter circle would require demolishing 23 houses, give or take a couple > properties. See 29.58672 -98.52185 Count them yourself. Reducing > that to 1/4 wave radials and a 250 foot circle reduces the carnage to a > mere 14 properties, give or take. There are places with even higher > densities, particularly in Europe and Japan. See the mental disconnect yet? ---snip--- > 73, Guy. > > ** http://www.w0uce.net/K2AVantennas.html Lucky me there is no "HOA" where I live. Mention HOA and everybody says "huh? No way". I am about 4000 feet from the nearest runway but that is for small aircraft and the 4000 feet is from my home to the *side* of runway. The tallest tree on my place is about 40 feet high and I don't want to go very much past that due to that runway AND to just keep a low profile. I can actually work a few stations in North America during contests like the Stew Perry with my "almost dummy load" antenna. I have very faintly heard some DX stations too far down in the noise for me to pull them out. I know they were DX because I could the North American stations working them. I retreat to 80 and 40 meters a lot but I am not giving up on 160. I see 160 as the band where I can make the most improvements so that is what I intend to do. From my postage stamp lot I do NOT expect to be a big gun - EVER. I am going to start with a K9AY antenna for receive first (I'm rounding up the materials). If I can actually *hear* the DX then I'll see what I can do to add the FCP to my TX antenna. If the FCP is a waste of time as some suggest I will only have lost some time and can reuse all the materials in other projects. In ant case I can already work some stations. <heresy> Right now I don't care about working exclusively DX. Any QSOs at all will do. </heresy> Maybe later I will be more interested in a paper chase. 73, Bill KU8H _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK