Good news before I start my rant!

Baker/Howland Is. (KH1) will be activated in 2018 by a DX group who has already mounted their fund raising activities. Baker/Howland is No. 4 on the most wanted list. This DXpedition will be another very expensive project with the costs in line with the Bouvet project. These dedicated radio operators are to be lauded for their efforts bringing those all but impossible ATNO’s to you and I.

Antennas, antennas and antennas are the most important pieces of equipment for our radio stations. So, who do you ask?? Ask any operator because you’ll soon find out that they’re all experts…every one of them. There’s a lot of antennas to choose from too. They range in price from inexpensive wire antennas to thousand buck giant Yagi’s and…what about a tower and a rotator to support your selection. There’s a lot to think about before taking that plunge into the world of HF radio operations.

My first antenna was a compromise vertical, its replacement was a compromise 5 band Yagi. Look folks, you can do a lot of radio with a wire antenna but, if you’re going into the world of worldwide DX, best to have a tower to support your selections to work those far away exotic places in this world. It isn’t cheap to be a dedicated DXer so one needs to define what part of the hobby am I (and my pocketbook) going to be involved in.

I ended up with mono band antennas, a tower and several power poles supporting antennas with rotors. Am I right and the other dude wrong?? Absolutely not. A tower with a log periodic isn’t a bad idea either and what about those Hex Beams?? There’s a lot to think about so talk to an expert, you know the ones I mean, they know everything (smile).

All kidding aside, talk to a DXer if you’re in doubt. In the meantime you folks who are all set up with your dream stations, sit down and call CQ because someone somewhere is listening and who knows…he may be an antenna expert. So long from my station in Huntersville to your station.

Best 73 es gud DX de Bob/WØZPE