Simple Ham Radio Antennas

With most of news assignments done for the day, I'll take a break and mentally organize my amateur radio projects for the remainder of the week.  For once, the news cycle has calmed a bit after the flurry of excitement over the involuntary demise of Osama bin Laden, the aftermath of the ongoing nuclear crisis in Northern Japan, and the massive flooding of our own midwest.  Never a dull moment in this business, and you take a break where you can.  Like many of us who call broadcasting our home away from home, a brief respite is welcome anytime.  Most of my shifts run 0400 to 1600 local time with additional time on Saturday and Sunday to pick up "loose ends" ( special programs, interviews, maintenance, and other unexpected events such as hard drive failures, computer repairs, and T1 problems).  Operations on a seismic-active island can often be challenging...nothing like a little shake, rattle, and roll to keep the juices flowing.  I should have some spare hours this week

Hopefully, blogger.com is back among the living.  I couldn't post anything over the past few hours during the maintainance procedure that apparently went crazy.  Such is life.  Nothing is certain but death and taxes--my rather poor paraphrase of Ben Franklin's sage advice. The past few weeks have been a real media circus in the radio station news room, with all of the natural disasters on the U.S. mainland, the reported death of Al-Qaeda co-founder Osama bin Laden, and the beginnings of the 2012 General Elections.  On Hawaii Island, the weather was the hot topic of the day, with Kailua-Kona, Oahu, and Kauai getting super soaked over the past few days.  All of the rain was helpful, but it won't make much of a dent in the ongoing drought which has gripped the islands for two years.  Even with all of the tropical showers, Hilo is still only gettting about 60 percent of its normal precipitation.  The Kohala, Ka'u, and Kailua-Kona areas are hurting for lack of water.  Catt

This has been a week of ups and downs in the radio station news room.  I was saddened by the loss of James McLaughlin, WA2EWE/T6AF, who was killed by an Afghan pilot on Wednesday, 27 April 2011, at the Kabul, Afghanistan Airport.  The "ARRL Letter" dated 28 April 2011 has the details.  Although I didn't know James, I was familiar with his DX and MARS activities.  Many dusty years ago in another liftetime, I grew to appreciate the service MARS operators rendered to the families of service personnel in far-flung areas of the world.  My experience in the Air Force actually encouraged me to get my amateur radio license back in 1977, a move I never regreted.  I was involved in communications work before that (both in the service and in commercial broadcasting), but my duty tours made me appreciate the efforts of MARS operators in the days before the internet and cell phones.  James will be missed.  'Kinda makes you wonder why this country wastes its human and material reso

This week's news cycle is coming to a close.  Two short weekend shifts will wrap up a good, productive week in the newsroom.  Unlike previous weeks, most of the crises have retreated a little more into the background.  That means I can at last spend some time at the amatuer radio station and destress from the week's activities.  I found several useful antenna articles on the 15 April 2011 edition of http://www.eham.net/ .  These articles can give you some good "skywire" ideas and several ways to operate successfully from restricted home locations.  K2ZS's article entitled "An indoor HF stealth antenna" is a nice read.  The antenna is a loop fed by ladder line attached to a SGC-230 matching device.  I've used similar antennas in the past.  They do work, considering the space limitations.  Apparently K2ZS has accumulated over 1500 QSOs using this arrangement.  You might want to try his indoor loop if you find there is no space to erect a decent outdoor

The shift at the KKBG-FM/KHLO-AM news is just about over...and none too soon.  With another 7.4 earthquake in Japan and the eleventh-hour negotiations over extending the federal government's spending authority, it has been an exciting week in the radio business.  Hawaii received some good news on the tsunami front--President Obama has declared the state a federal disaster area, thus enabling local businesses and state agencies to some relief from the $30 million in damage from the 11 March tsunami.  Kailua-Kona's business district along Alii Drive was torn up badly; the main pier sustained damage;  at least 12 homes were damaged; and one major resort was closed until further notice.  Two other hotels suffered various degrees of damage, but they stayed open.  Compared to Japan, we got off lightly.  Japanese amateur radio operators continue to provide valuable communications and relief support to Norhern Honshu which has suffered greatly in the loss of lives and property.  Accord

For the first time in almost a month things are quiet in the KKBG-FM/KHLO-AM newsroom.  The earthquake/tsunami recovery effort in Japan and the ongoing Middle East crisis have dominated the news cycle for weeks.  Eventhough these topics are still in the daily news, other topics are beginning to lower the priority of March's disasters. Like many communities across the nation, fund raising efforts continue for Japan on Hawaii Is- land.  The support will be needed for months, may- be years as the situation develops.  Japanese hams are doing an excellent job of filling in communications gaps or coordinating recovery efforts where required. Hawaii Island is rebuilding, too.  Most of the tsunami damage has been cleared from business and residential areas.  The state has applied for federal disaster relief funds to cover some of the $14 million in estimated tsunami damage.  Whether Hawaii gets any of the requested funds is unknown, given the current economic condition o

Hawaii is observing Tsunami Awareness Week with a variety of educational and public service campaigns sponsored by local and state organizations.  In light of the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, this week has special significance for those of us living on Hawaii Island, which is attached firmly to the "ring of fire."  Back in 1946, an April Fool's Day tsunami took out much of the Hilo bayfront with a huge loss of life.  And in 1960, a tsunami struck the city again with large losses of property and life.  So, all of the curent uncertain- ty surrounding the Japanese tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear power plant problems resonates strongly here.  Hawaii escaped with only property damage from the 11 March incident.  Even that was serious enough to prompt a disaster declaration from Gover- nor Neil Abercrombie.  One can't afford to be com- placent these days. Eversince the last tsunami, local residents have regained a sense of urgency and

Hawaii Island is still recovering from the effects of the 11 March 2011 tsunami.  As of today, the Big Island sustained around $14.2 million in damage, with most of the loss to commercial business $11.1 million).  The state is now compiling a full damage assess- ment with the hope of getting some federal disaster relief funds. Local amateur radio operators were active at Hawaii County Civil Defense and provided communication backup where necessary.  Despite some intermod problems on VHF (2 meters), most of the traffic passed got through on time.  Pacific Section Manager Bob Sneider has a complete assessment in his recent section manager report.  I was a bit surprised that our 2-meter interisland links had problems.  Murphy's Law is alive and well. Meanwhile, Japanese amateur radio operators are still helping with recovery efforts north of Tokyo.  The 24 March 2011 "ARRL Letter" has a good run down of those activities.  Like amateurs in this country, Japane

This has been a sad weekend for journalists and news announcers such as I.  The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that devasted eastern Honshu Island, Japan affected the entire Pacific Rim, including Hawaii.  On the Big Island, 2 home were washed into the sea at Napoopoo Village (on the west side) and more than 50 businesses in the Kailu-Kona area suffered damage.  The popular Kailua-Kona pier, which serves as the drop off point for cruise ship visitors was damaged and will be closed pending a full inspection by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Thankfully, no one was killed or injured seriously.  Damage on Hawaii Island will run into the millions. Most of the station staff spent Thursday night and all day Friday covering the event, since our location was out of the tsunami inundation zone.  All evacuations were carried out smoothly by 0200 Friday time.  During our 12 hours of continuous coverage, we became the focal point for informaton to local residentws.

Another exciting week is almost in the can--and none too soon.  What a mess--The federal government is nearly broke, our state is hoping a bond sale will under- write an ambitious capital improvements program, and the cauldron known as the Middle East is driving fuel prices higher.  Who could ask for more?  For news people, all this confusion, mass ignorance, and sheer incompetence displayed by world-wide governments is a virtual gold mine of stories, op-ed pieces, and blog entries.  Too bad, the end result of this will further cripple our already weakened economy.  So, once this news shift is done at KKBG-FM/KHLO-AM, I'll be glad to leave this madness and return to the relative calm of the amateur radio bands.  Today's activity may be a bit restricted since the weather service is calling for thunderstorms later today.  Everything is disconnected-- so that worry is reduced.  All I have to do is swivel the 40-meter vertical to ground level.  All feedlines have b

Friday at last.  This has been an exciting seven days in the KKBG-FM/KHLO-AM news room.  With the turmoil in the middle east, the nasty mainland U.S. weather, and the continuous rise in the daily cost of living, there are sufficient stories to keep several news people busy.  Never a dull moment this month. I'll paraphrase an old Chinese saying--"may you be blessed (or is it cursed) by living in exciting times." The news from the amateur radio front is just as confusing and strange as the happenings in the so- called "real world." During a recent break from the daily schedule of newscasts, I purused the 24 February 2012 edition of "The ARRL letter".  Usually, I just glance through the e-mail edition and file the few stories I consider worthy of later inspection.  But today, there were several stories that show both the highs and lows of our hobby, and by tenuous extension,  the current state of our nation and people.  In the good ne

Nothing like a seven-day work week to make one appreciate a day off.  In the radio business, there are really very few vacations, especially for the one man news departments in small markets like Hilo, Hawaii.  So, following the season opening drag races over the weekend, I find myself doing the regular Monday news shift.  To me, President's Day is just another work day, and the day is filled with all kinds of things to keep the mind busy.  Count your blessings that you do not live in Libya, Bahrain, or Yemen.  Young folks living in those countries have a grim future--no jobs, repressive regimes, and little social mobility.  It's sort of getting dressed for the prom and having no date.  Once the news day is over, I'll complete the required transmitter and computer checks and head for the little piece of paradise I call the "shack".  The oper- ating position is really a small extra bedroom my xyl and I use for storage.  The Swan 100 MXA and rela

Now that the super bowl is over, it's back to what some of us in the news business call the "real world". With things the way they are these days, who's to say what is real anymore?  On one hand ,you have the largest national block party with a truly outstanding game and , on the other hand, you have a nation struggling to climb out of an ever deepening financial black hole.  Surely makes for an exciting year--never a dull minute.  After a full day of reporting everything from riots and revolution to acts of heroism and  pure kindness, I'm ready to call it quits until the next news cycle begins.  The Hawaii Island news week began with a kidnapping on Sunday.  It seems the suspect commited acts of violence against some family members last week and has been on the run from police.  Police were able to find the car in- volved, but, so far, there has been no trace of him or his unlucky victim.  Police say this whacko is possibly armed and should be c

This has been a busy week in the newsroom, with budgetary issues raised by President Barack Obama and Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie dominating the local news.  In short, Hawaii, like many states on the U.S. mainland is defacto bankrupt.  In his state of the state address on 24 January 2011, Governor Aber- crombie vowed to implement a round of tax and fee in- creases to reduce Hawaii's $844 million deficit.  Of course this pales beside the nearly 15 trillion dollar shortfall projected by federal economists.  For amateur radio operators, that means available dollars will buy less of what's available.  It's time to make do with what we have, spend wisely for things we need, and stay out of debt.  I still have that Elecraft K-3 somewhere in the future, but for now, it's time to buckle down and get creative.  The older rigs will just have to run a bit longer and those antenna projects will focus on the home-brew variety.  The operating situation isn't

Now that I've survived New Year's Day, it's ever onward into the news cycle at the radio station news cubicle.  Due to work requirements, I wasn't able to do much on Straight Key Night, but I did fire up the the Icom R-75 receiver in the studio and "read the mail" between news breaks.  The antenna projects slated for the first days of the year are nearly done.  While I'm happy with the  40-meter loop under the house, the 40-meter vertical still needs work. The old MFJ fiberglass mast has been battered by the elements. It needs to be replaced.  I have a jackite pvc mast in the garage that will be standing in the backyard soon.  Hopefully, a spare weekend will be available to install the mast and get a decent ground screen in place.  The old system was a variation of a 33' vertical wire with tuned counterpoise--all this fed with 450- ohm window line.  The setup worked reasonably well and could work bands from 40-10 meters.  No complaints a

The New Year has arrived.  For those of us in the broadcast news business, it's time to produce our top sports and news stories for the year.  These programs are usually aired as special programs on the weekends.  Once all of that is done, it's time to rough out plans for the year ahead, discard the old files, and review equipment, transmitter, and program logs for any problems.  New Year's Day on Hawaii Island has dawned bright, sunny, and warm, a perfect time to complete the necessary tasks, produce the daily news broadcasts, and get ready for a weekend of amateur radio.  Not a bad mix.  This approach could also apply to our amateur radio activities--clean out the old files, fill out and mail qsl cards (or enter data into the various e-mail qsl programs), repair the antennas, clean up equipment, and straighten out the "junque box".  I doubt if I'll do all of this, but it is a start.  As for those pesky resolutions, I've adopted a new appr

This has been quite a year, newswise.  The newsroom has indeed been a busy place.  Somehow, we have managed to survive another 365 days despite the best attempts by fanatics, the morally challenged, and the merely dispicable to derail us.  I suppose my slightly down message has been tempered by the course of world events...news people often get that way.  But, thanks to amateur radio, there is temporary relief from all of the nonsense that passes for civilization these days. I've been fortunate to have a roof over my head, a good job, an understanding XYL, and equipment that is paid for.  The all-too brief time I spend at the ole Swan 100-MX or restringing my antenna farm has kept me fairly sane.  I enjoy the challenge of shooting the rf into the ionesphere and seeing where it ends.  I've also begun to enjoy cw again.  I'm not very fast, but I enjoy the commaradie and "rag chews" from cw operators.  I'm hoping to get into the ARRL straight key

Christmas is almost here.  Things are slowing down a bit in the newsroom--a much appreciated break after Hawaii Island withstood a fierce winter rain storm. The Saddle Road, which is the shortest connection between Hilo and Kailua-Kona, was closed due to flood- ing and runoff.  Many travelers on the island had to divert their itineraries to the longer perimeter roads. Even these highways got thoroughly soaked.  The newsroom was kept busy with all of the traffic alerts and advisories.  Local amateur radio operators stood by just in case emergency communications channels were needed.  Thankfully, the flooding emergency was confined to the evening hours.  State and county crews are still cleaning up the debris and directing motorists around the flooded areas.  With all of this going on, there wasn't much time to "ham it up".  I got home rather late, so I'll make up the hamming later this week.  Christmas Day is a full work day -- I have to stand by in c

I can't believe how fast the Christmas holiday is coming.  Wasn't Thanksgiving just a few weeks ago?  Time seems to quicken with advancing age. As a child, it seemed forever until the holiday season arrived.  Anyway, the season is keeping the newsroom busy--and that's a good thing.  At least I still have a job.  I wish I had it in my power to get those unemployed back to work.  Meanwhile, I'll be able to sandwich in some needed antenna work before the weekend. I will be restringing the vertical this Saturday, since the combination of salt air, rain, and insect damage is destroying the #14 gauge wire attached to the 33' fiberglass mast.  The insulation is slowly degenerating under the tropical sun.  This project has been on the back burner for a few weeks.  Follow- ing the maintenance, I'll work a few hours on the Swan 100-MXA--mostly cleaning pots and blowing the dust off the case.  The circuit boards appear in good shape, so everything should

I spent the night at the radio station newsroom because of a winter storm that threatened Hawaii Island.  For- tunately, only minor flooding spoiled the night.  Mauna Kea has a nice layer of snow and local residents can't wait for the summit road to clear, so they can take home some snow for a holiday snowman.  This is the only place where you can gather snow and surf on a sun-blessed beach all at the same time.  Since I was on news alert, there wasn't much time to spend on amateur radio, other than listening to 2-meters on the news room scanner.  I'll remedy that situation once I close up the news room later today.  At least, we got some much needed rain.  Have a good weekend.  Aloha es 73 de KH6JRM.