After living through the fatigue of a single 15mg dose of Rermeron. I had an amazingly productive day yesterday. I was up early and off to breakfast at Toast. Then to the Post Office to pick up my new shortwave antenna which was in. Then to Radio Shack to get the connectors (didn't have them) and then Lowe's Didn't have then either) to Barnes and Nobles to get a gift certificate and to buy a book, which I couldn't find having forgotten the name. The Master Switch by Tim Wu. Then to the Gap for another present, then off to Mooresville and a better stocked Radio Shack. The salesman wasn't able to help, but I found what I needed, a SO-236 to BNC connector. OK, well maybe not a popular item but one I needed. Then back to Lowe's to find a few more items, then home. I borrowed a ladder and a big drill and went to work. Harder than I anticipated and I worked until the sun went down and got the Inverted - L design installed in two large trees near the back of the house. About 60' on the horizontal and 15' on the vertical axis at about 15 feet in the air. Feed the coax to the house and plugged into the radio. It works! Activity from the 90 meter band to the 40 Meter band. Sadly the antenna tuner appears to be DOA. Returning it tomorrow for a repair or replacement.
The antenna was hung by tying a rope to a half brick and heaving it over a limb of a very large tree. The I stretched the wire, coax and and attached another rope to the other end and heaved that end in another large tree closer to the house. The final decision of where to bring the coax (used to shield the signal from local interference) was based on the ease of getting hte connection into the house. That and the guitar room had the best power and ground. Although the choice of an inverted - L was it omni-directional nature, the second will use a different orientation and possible different design. No rush at this point. Of course I say that now, but you know me, I always strive for the best I can do.
Next part of the project is to rearrange the furniture in the guitar room for the shortwave radio "shack". Once they get the tuner back, I'll have completed the final stages of the preparation. Then, onto listening to the world! My long term plans are to add another antenna and if I stick with the hobby, add a better radio in a year or two. The one I bought is a mid-level but I can already see things that I'll need for serious dxing, like single hz tuning and notch filters. Fortunately there are two options in the $500-600 price range.
One really cool aspect of this hobby is the access to data that was very nearly unattainable in the early 1990's via the internet. Massive amounts of data on the Sun, solar activity and the Earth's magnet field, as well as QSL reports from SWL's around the world. The Internet offers so much that was either unavailable or only available but newsletters delivered by post. This should be fun!
Today my brother got the day off due to weather and we had an early breakfast and hung out all day. It was a nice with a walk with the dogs. Sore as hell from the physicality of yesterday's activities.
Breakfast tomorrow with Marsha, back to the Post Office to drop of package, mail the new contract for the hospital bills and pay P.O. box rent. Dinner with Eric and Dawn ( his new girlfriend). She'll get here early enough to make dinner for us. No other plans for the weekend.
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