2006 KØS, Strange Antenna Challenge

Hosted by Erik Weaver nØew and Dwayne Walker wb5plj,

Event Dates: Memorial Weekend, May 27 - 29, 2006

UPDATED: May 31st, 2006

Left to Right: Dwayne WB5PLJ and Erik NØEW
"Big Hats" provided several years ago by my father. They are great!

    Major items we used, generally left to right in the above image are:

• Power: Orange extension cord running out of window behind, and above, us.
• Table, left side:
  • Coffee mug and French press!
  • (White box) DC power cord to XCVR with toroidal core for noise suppression (really for mobile use, but that is what I found first so that is what we used)
  • (Under white box) Alinco power supply for XCVR
• Center of table:
  • Bottom: Icom 746 XCVR
  • Middle: Roller inductor transmatch (MFJ-962D)
  • Top left: Small external speaker
  • Top right: MFJ-269 antenna analyzer
• Baggie to the right of the XCVR / transmatch stack: Pipe tobacco, pipe, lighter, etc.
• Table, right side:
  • Loggers seat:
    • Laptop computer with wi-fi card
    • Trackball
    • Laptop power supply and line conditioner
• Speaking of seats...
  • Folding seat and footstool
  • This allows one to switch back and forth, because neither of these is comfortable enough to sit on for 6 to 8 hours at a time without a break!
  • Bring an extra seat or two or visitors will steal yours when you are just about to switch!
• Bottom right corner:
  • Carry bag with duck tape sitting upon it
  • Tool bag
  • Partial view of additional lengths of LMR-400 coax

This is a view of our operation station
If any Flying-J managers happen to see this, please note:
Coffee is dark brown and opaque; bean tea is light brown and translucent!

The clock on the tree says... heheheeh

KØS Contacts nØew and wb5plj Made in 2006...

States Worked:

Alaska!	AL	AZ	FL	GA	IA	IL	IN	KY	MA
ME	MI	MN	MO	MS	MT	NC	NH	NY	OH
PA	TN	TX	WA	WIS

DX Worked:

Alaska!

Alberta, Canada

Ottawa, Canada

Italy

Germany

Notable Contacts Worked:

• Other people using "Strange Antennas"
  1. WB4WXD using a railroad track antenna in Texas
  2. NM3U/K0S using a tracter-trailer dipole in Lexington, KY. Also spoke with Warren's wife Debra KI4ODS and son John KI4ODU
• Mobile and portable stations
  1. Jeff VE6GJ /Mobile in Calgary, AB Canada
  2. Dale N1XEA /Mobile at the ME / NH border
  3. Jim KC9AGG /Mobile in Wisconson
  4. Mark WB9MAI /Portable at Washington Island, WIS. with his Yo-Yo dipole running on battery / solar power
  5. Alan KA9UFH /Mobile in Indianapolis,IN
  6. Tom KC9IKS /Mobile near Wataka, WIS. near Greenbay
• DX stations
  1. North Pole, Alaska
  2. Two World Cup special event stations in Germany
  3. Itally
  4. Snowy Calgary, Alberta Canada, of interest to me because I had just driven up there last week and missed a mountain snow storm!
• Other special event stations or special activities
  1. Two "island" stations in Maine
  2. Indy 500 Motor Speedway
• Springfield, Missouri, literally just around the corner from us, Heheheeh!
• Valparaiso, Indiana, the home of Orivill Redenbocker's Popcorn!
• Two QRP stations

Strange Antennas nØew and wb5plj Used in 2006...

1. Soloflex Dipole
2. Camping Cot Vertical Dipole
3. Trampoline / Chicken Wire Semi-Vertical

Strange Antennas Used by Other Stations in 2006...

• Other person's Strange Antennas:
• WB4WXD: Railroad Track Strange Antenna
• WB4WXD: Carport / Patio Strange Antenna
• WB4WXD: Table Dipole Strange Antenna
• KJ4RB: Tree Vertical Strange Antenna
• N5OHL: Tomatoe Cage Vertical Strange Antenna
• NM3U and KI4ODU: University of Kentucky Football Stadium
• NM3U, KI4ODU, and KI4ODS: Tractor-Trailer Dipole