Return-Path: To: wd8rif@qsl.net Subject: W3EDP and N1OLN rope toss Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 17:48:38 +0000 Hi William, I enjoyed reading your pages this morning! I've been using an 85' end fed wire with a 17' counterpoise on the last few trips with excellent results on 40 and 20. From the San Juan Canyons in Utah we worked several CA stations plus Phoenix & Denver on 40 and somehow managed to work a mobile in HI on 20 with a thousand foot canyon wall west of us. All with k1 at 3 W. Pictures of our trip are at http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jspc=9bgwaex.82zs312l&x=0&y=-vf630d The W3EDP has become my favorite, especially after a long day paddling a canoe. Very simple to toss in a tree (assuming you can find one, which is tough on desert trips ;-) as an inverted L and be on air in no time with good signals. Strung at about 15' it givers a good high angel on 40 and i find contacts at the 3-400 mile range on 40 often report very good signals even while in the canyons. For tree toss I am now using a version of N1OLN's idea but with a (free) small water bottle rather than the store-bought bag (I just drilled a hole in the cap and used a figure 8 'stopper' knot inside. With a little practice it's very accu rate & reliable up to 40 or 45' and the poly rope really lets the weight down through branches far better than anything I've tried -- plus it was all of about $4 for two 44' lengths. For car camping and canoe trips I store it in a large coffee can with the rope stuffed rather than coiled in, just like a canoe/kayak throw rope. While traveling I keep the bottle empty to save weight, adding about half a bottle of water for weight as needed, It's a keeper! Again, nice pages -- have fun, and keep us up to date on what you learn! -- 73, T.E. 'Doc' Drake, W5TB Arlington, Texas http://home.comcast.net/~drake.t/w5tb/