The AM Forum

As most of you know, I got transferred overseas to Greece.  Just arrived today and wonder of wonders, my internet's working. 

A few quick snaps from the deck of my apartment:  Anyone have any bright antenner ideas?

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b153/throbbo/Picture031.jpg)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b153/throbbo/Picture033.jpg)

Hey Jonny. Enjoy the souvlaki over there. Its been a long time since I last set foot on the land of Zeus! Rember: Don't be polite and let women through the subwway door. You'll never get on  ;)

...how long you there, and whatcha werking on?


..sk..

Glad you made it safely. Looks like the sun is shining there.

Are you on the top floor? Can you get to the roof? Or can you hang a wire off your balcony?

I've worked a few stations in EU with antennas on their aparrtment building roof and they had excellent signals. Nothing like an antenna at 60-80 or 100+ feet!

Excellent, JN! It's been 25 years since I was last there. The national museum is just incredible.

I suppose you could bolt some sort of antenna to the railing, which would also serve as a counterpoise. Something like a Bugcatcher is going to be respectably efficient, I've worked everywhere mobile with mine on SSB, even the east coast on 75 AM from the pickup! Probably more efficient than a kludged wire antenna.

If you ever want to do a weekend road trip to the city of Filiatra, in Messenia, you can see the unique library, castle and other buildings my great-uncle built there. He was a brilliant physician bordering on a lunatic, moved to Filiatra and died there as he wished.

Keep in touch!

Glad to hear you got there okay Johnny. That's a bit of a haul, to say the least.

That bell tower looks mighty tempting, any way to shoot a line to it? Just mae sure you don't miss and get tangled on that cage antenna below it. ;)

As Steve suggested, try for a roof entry if possible. Easy enough to haul a feedline up with a string you lower down to your pad. Then the world is your oyster. Beyond that, drop a vertical line downward and hope for the best? Then again, if you could snag one of those tall trees to the left or better still - make friends with one of your balcony neighbors across the way, life could be better still. Looks like quite a span over to those other porches.

So anyway, since you're over there now I guess it's safe to post these. What a buncha hooligans, I tell ya!!

Where in Greece are you?

I just spent six weeks in Crete (where my mom and brother live)... no ham gear though, so couldn't operate /SV9. Although there are reciprocal operating agreements in SV-land  8)

If anyone's interested in western Crete;
http://tinyurl.com/charlespictures

Hope the trip over was "OK". Looks pretty where you are.

Be safe my friend.

Bill

A K-40 hung off that rail will make you the channel masta, cum awn.  ::)

you only have coax outpoot and no tuner, right?

http://www.hy-gain.com/Product.php?productid=AV-12AVQ with the 14 AVQ roof mounting kit only 13 ft high.
 
you could tie wrap it to your balcony railing. not the best for sure but easy to do for now. just to get you on.

This one is better:
(http://www.mfjenterprises.com/pictures/MFJ-1780.jpg)

TNX OMs fer the well wishes.  I'm in Athens, near the new Olympic stadium

Beautiful WX, at least compared to the day I left Washington.  About 90 and low humidity.

As far as ants, go, I brought a TMC 32' vertical and remote tooner.  Perhaps strapping it to the balcony and using the railing as a counterpoise will work.  However I need to be concerned about TVI also.

THere are a couple of quite tall poplar trees in the back.  Might be able to use at least one as a support.  Apparently the landlord here sez no antenners on the roof, which is bad indeed.

eh, just pay him off. or maybe one of the maintenance guys to look the other way and be like Sgt Schultz in Hogans Heroes.  " I know nothing".  :D

Hey John great to hear you made it over.

You had mentioned when I saw you that you'd be on your way sometime this summer. Guess someone now will have to start playing recordings of the "Best of Johnny Novice" on the radio at night.

Maybe Cycle 24 will get going while you're over there and we can work on 10m AM.

Best wishes getting settled.