Will it be a secret weapon or will it be a "flop"???

I had in my storage for quite some years now, old Hustle 5B-TV vertical.  In some contests my 40 meter band performance was less than ideal.  With the BERU coming this weekend I had plans to put it up and test it.

It is temporary installation for now.  If it works... it will stay.  Have to of course build better base for it.

At the moment there are five 40 m radials.  Will consider the alternatives in the future.

I still have about two days to tune it up and "fiddle".  Tomorrow may add some more radials... Can't hurt... eh?

It hears about the same as the OCF dipole.  The amplifier is happier with it than with the dipole.

So far it is promising.  Wish me good luck.

As far as luck goes:

About 20 minutes after I published the blog... Sydney was hit by a storm... squall.  Not much rain, but the wind was strong and the whole show lasted no more than 15 or 20 minutes.  When I looked up the antenna was not there... it toppled over.  OUCH.

Too late in the day to get up and initiate salvage (that is what I had on my mind).

How lucky one can be:

Early today I drove to a fishing tackle shop and purchased strong mono-filament fishing line to  use as guy wires for what I thought was left of the antenna.  When I opened the hatch - oh what a joyful sight:

The antenna was intact, have fallen on the guy rope and dipole.  So there is hope after all. 

73
Patrick