Re: [IRCA] eskip --

[mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx (Patrick Martin)]

Willis,

Like you, the past a happier time in my life too. The reason I got
involved with FM DX in the first place was, I went to CA with Bill Block
in the Summer of 1970. We went to swapmeet in West Covina while in the
LA area. A guy had a AM-FM radio for sale for a couple bucks. I never
had FM for a number of years. Not since I lived in Seward AK in the 60s.
A friend had an FM antenna  in Astoria up on the hill. Since he could
not put it on the roof living in an apt, he placed it in the Christmas
Tree stand in his living room facing the N/NE. He heard FM from
Seattle/Vancouver BC, etc. I was very impressed. So when I found the
AM-FM radio, when I got home I bought a 10 element FM Yagi from Radio
Shack for $25 and put it up. I did not get FM as well to the North as
Brad, my friend did, but still ok. But I got FM from the East, SE, etc.
The radio died in a couple of years and I found a Pioneer TX 9100, which
I still have. I bought the best FM Yagi I could find, the Winegard
SC650. It was a dream. I got FM from Eureka CA to Vancouver BC, out to
Spokane WA. Plus for ESkip it was great. I hooked it up to my TV set and
it worked pretty well 2-13. I started getting a bit of TV E Skip, but I
still was into FM more. Plus my regular MW DXing. When I moved to
Portland in 1975, I could not put up any antennas where I first lived.
Later I moved to NW Portland, and had three antennas on my balcony. The
landlady did not care. I was a talk of the neighhood. I was up a few
hundred feet and it worked great. In 1978 I moved out to Hillsboro, West
of Portland. It worked well out there too.
   Here I only have a small TV/FM antenna up. I cannot keep a big yagi
up. The winds tear it to bits. The high winds dropped two trees in my
yard this Winter. It is hard to keep antennas up that are large with
wind gusts 90-130 MPH. So I don't use too big of  antennas much these
days. I guess I could keep it up in the Summer, and take it down in the
Winter. But I haven't. 
   The TV Band is still wide open here with no local VHF signals. The
nearest is Portland at 75 air miles and Seattle at 150 air miles. We
have 5 translators on  17, 21,23,26, and 34. More FM on the coast these
days, but TV is still very open and probably always will be. Clatsop
County has only 35000, with our largest town being Astoria, just under
10K. So not a lot of people here.

73,

Patrick 

Patrick Martin

Come to Seaside Oregon for the 2006 IRCA Convention! It will be held at
the Comfort Inn on September 22-24,2006.

_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://arizona.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/listinfo/irca

Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers

For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org

To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx