Look what followed me home!

[k7mdo]

Well, I have just entered a new arena of ham radio (for me).  I have been satisfied for years with as little as 3 watts carrier (homebrew) up to my HT-37 and Viking II but have always dreamed of a few more watts.  Finally  a local ham bid on the equipment in a Los Angeles radio station when it shut down and I was able to talk him out of one of their scrap transmitters....  a little Gates BC1G.

Weather has been good for transport and a few willing hands and it is in my shop waiting for me to self educate on bumping it up to 75 meter phone and bringing it back to life.

It loaded into its dummy load to full power before transport and my initial inspection indicates no real issues.  It was originally put into service as a back up in 1971 and appears to have seen little use.

Came with original tubes and full set of spares!

My shack is only 10 by 12 feet and I have too many radios now so one of my first issues will be where to put it/or/will I remote it. 

Also, I do have room for a full half wave 75 meter dipole but can only get it up to 35' or so and neighbors might object to a "real" tower as I live on a private airpark.  With the smaller power transmitters, I have gotten away with an end fed wire but higher power will require a more resonant antenna, I think.  The dipole will have to fit the bill. 

[kb3ouk]

At that height you might be better off with an inverted L, with about 50/50 split between horizontal and vertical. If for some reason you can't put a radial field down (about 60 1/4 wave ones would do) then you can use elevated radials that are about 10 feet off the ground and get away with fewer, like 3 or 4, but the elevated radials need to be resonant.

[k7mdo]

I am afraid that my lot and buildings will just not work for much other than the dipole.

I will though look at the inverted V but the only tower I have is right on the property edge so radial field would be compromised.

Actually the 35' will be the highest 80 meter dipole I have ever had since 1960.  However, propagation was spectacular then....

Tom