dormItory antenna

[j...@mitre-bedford.arpa]

There is ALWAYS A WAY.

My dormitory antenna, lo those many years ago, was a piece of about 100 feet
of #22 enameled wire from the dorm to a tall pine tree. I used the standard
shirt buttons for insulators and a simple PI network in the transmitter to
match it. I worked all over the eastern half of the US on 80 meter CW with 3
watts. Incidentally, the transmitter was made by rewiring an old AM broadcast
receiver that somebody threw out. The audio output stage became the final,
and the other tubes served as oscillator, cathode follower, driver etc.

Gawsh what fun compared to today's era of plug it in and if it doesn't seem to
work, send it back to the factory (when probably all that was needed was to
read the manual).

-John S., W3IKG

My advice: Get an antenna tuner and tune up whatever wire you can put up or
connect to! (But don't get ANYWHERE NEAR the power lines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)