Temporary
Band 1 Antenna: I have been meaning to do some major aerial
work this summer, but somehow have not yet got around to it. Fellow
DXer David Hamilton gave me a couple of aerials earlier in the year,
when he was moving house. I think his words were something like
"If yer no feart tae ga up on the rif and tak them doon, ye can
huv them".
So pretending I was nae feartie, i did climb up and retrieve them. I
now have the home made (by Davie) band one antenna, which gives better
results than my own ancient original 1960s band one aerial. My own antenna
has a folded dipole on the main element, but David Hamilton's aerial
is an open dipole. I have the new antenna on a temporary mast outside
the shack. Dave also gave me the very same FM band 2 antenna which picked
up his infamous and amazing Transatlantic band 2 dx in 2003. That is
not yet erected in August 2008. Below, the temporary mast with the band
1 aerial on top. The aerial is seen below, photographed when there was
a rainbow in the sky. Not sure if that is a sign of anything... O yes..
I remember now... RAIN!!! Click to enlarge.
One problem I have never really had much here in my village is these
silly 49mhz baby monitors. Now a friends daughter has recently started
using one of the bad ones. I have told her that it is nothing more than
a bug in her house, and anyone can hear what is being said. Still they
use it!! Ahhhhh. If someone told me the place was bugged I would surely
try to do something about it!!! I think I have to splash out and buy
her a different type. It is really giving E2 and R1 beating!!
Years ago I seem to recall reading somewhere that ham operators on 50mHz
at one time were not allowed to operate if they were so many miles from
a band 1 TV transmitter. I guss that is a thing of the past. Often I
have seen lines on screen around R1/ E2 which I used to assume to be
50mHz activity. This year for the first time, I have a receiver for
that band, and indeed can confirm the lines are indeed ham operators.
They are not however all local. Many powerful continental stations cause
these lines too, during a strong opening. This surely must cause havoc
on the televisions sets of viewers using the lower channels on band
1.
Ken, August 2008
