Saturday, May 24, 2014 — This is a late-night before-I-go-to-bed entry, so bear with me.
First a confession — my start in radio in 1970 was with the 11-meter Citizen Band. This was in the days when everyone bought a license and you would often use your callsign and actually identify your station from time to time. Hell, I remember when local businesses and farms actually used it as it was intended! (Translation: Man, I’m old!)
My first career was electronics, and one thing that has never failed to amaze me is the ease by which most of my 11-meter cohorts were confused by what are really fairly simple principles in radio.
I remember having those same periods of confusion — when common sense gave flight and some hocus-pocus mumbo-jumbo filled the void to explain 11-meter propagation or why one antenna works better than another.
I have been surprised from time-to-time to monitor conversations with my fellow CB’ers-turned-ham who apparently have no interest in learning about anything related to radio theory. Remember the time when we wanted as many newcomers as we could get licensed and on the air? Just remember the rule of unintended consequences.
It appears that some newer hams have never cracked a book to learn a little bit about antenna theory for on-air conversations — or what’s worse, they continue to spout off old 11-meter yarns as definitive.
Earlier this week I monitored two hams discussing the merits of the Antenna Specialists Super Scanner antenna. I had one many years ago, and wish I still had it.
These hams were telling “factual” information about the antenna … including these gems: Did you know that the switchbox for the Super Scanner electrically lengthened the elements with its special relays? According to these guys there’s no difference between dB and dBi. These guys talked it up like it had magical properties, though clearly they never figured out the antenna is simply a set of three 1/2-wave dipoles with a phasing harness.
Of course, a review of any 1950s ARRL Handbook In fact, phased verticals is nothing new; check out the ARRL antenna books of the 1950s and before.
I listened to more of their discussion about how superior the Super Scanner was over say, a a 5-element Moonraker or a PDL 2. This wasn’t a comparison of specs, but reviews through the lenses of nostalgia — of which I have been plenty guilty myself. For example, though it is only a 1/4-wave vertical, I still consider the old Starduster a better antenna than the venerable CLR-2 5/8 wave that preceded it. Given the specs, the CLR 2 offered 4 db gain over the unity gain Starduster. As we all know, nostalgia and facts aren’t always the best of friends. 😉
One of the ops in the Super Scanner discussion told her friend he would like to build a version of that antenna for 40 meters. Friends, 3 half-waves on 40 arranged like that would be quite a sight to see on a tower! I’m sure it could be done, but there are probably easier ways to get gain on 40 … an SB 220 is probably an easier upgrade, hi!
SHACK ACCIDENT, NO INJURIES. My lab’s wagging tail was in my shack yesterday and created a near-disaster by initiating a landslide of stacked “stuff” that included two keys — a 1938B Mac Key Deluxe and an Electro Bug. I don’t know how it happened, but neither key was damaged (the main damage point being the thumb piece).
NEXT UP TO BAT. My key of choice right now at the operating position is a Les Logan Speed-X 501 deluxe t-bar bug that is in wonderful condition. I ran across the key a week or so back and did not remember having her on the air; this meant cleaning the contacts and dialing her in. Very nice key, indeed!
73 es cul … de KY4Z SK