OCTOBER 2026 VP WAVEFORM

Fall is in the Air !!

I have a very narrow temperature comfort range. It’s somewhere around Spring and Fall. 

I moved to Delaware from Denton, Texas, where they experienced 54 triple-digit days this summer. However, Denton, Texas, does not have winters quite like Delaware. So my perfect weather truly is somewhere around Spring and Summer.

So, let the Fall begin!!

Amateur radio operators often say that the Fall is the perfect time of year for outside antenna projects. This could include inspection and repairs, as well as building and erecting new antennas.

In my case, I erected a 124.5 foot End-Fed Long Wire with a homebrew 9:1 Unun and a 40 foot counterpoise that I strung-up about 40 feet. I was able to reach higher branches using Jim’s (KC3BTV) pneumatic line-launcher, which worked like a charm. It took me more time planning my shot than it did to take the shot! This antenna gives me the 40 through 10 meter bands, including the WARC bands.

I put the antenna on the air for the first time yesterday (9/30/26) and had my first QSO from Birmingham, England with a 59 signal report on the 20 meter band!

This antenna will supplement my single-purpose antenna, which is a homebrew 8010 End-fed Half Wave with a loading coil and 49:1 unun. Although it is a decent antenna on 80, 40, 20, and 10 it is only about 15 feet off the ground for a Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) operation. I carefully tuned this antenna so that peak resonance is for the Delaware Traffic Net and the Delmarva Emergency Nets on 3905 KHz.

This is just the beginning of Fall. Who knows what other projects are ahead during this period of comfort zone for antenna work?

Maybe the best way to describe my perfect temperature comfort zone—No Mosquitos!

Good luck with your Fall projects!!

Tell us all about them at our club meetings!!

-73-

John, AB3JS

 AB3JS.john@gmail.com