=  NOW 25 WPM  =  TEXT IS FROM DECEMBER 2020 QST PAGE 49 =

EASY WHEN UNDER WAY, BUT WOULD NEED TO BE WOUND IN WHEN APPROACHING DOCKS,
SO WED LIKE TO AVOID THAT OBVIOUS OPTION.  DOES A VERTICAL ANTENNA NEED 1/4
WAVELENGTH RADIALS WHEN ON SEAWATER, OR IS A GOOD ROUND CONNECTION IN
SALTWATER SUFFICIENT?  A WINDFALL, A 25 1/2 FOOT SAILBOAT, HAS SERVED ME AS
A SUCCESSFUL MARINE MOBILE PLATFORM FOR YEARS, USING AN INSULATED BACKSTAY
FOR AN ANTENNA SEE FIGURE 1.  IT HAS A FIBERGLASS HULL AND INBOARD DIESEL
AUXILIARY.  I ASSUMED THAT I WOULD NEED TO PENETRATE THE HULL FOR RADIALS,
BUT FIRST TRIED JUST TYING MY AUTOMATIC TUNERS GROUND TERMINAL THROUGH A
SHORT HEAVY WIRE TO AN ENGINE BLOCK BOLT I USED THE SAME BOLT THAT THE
BATTERY GROUND WAS TIED TO, BECAUSE THAT WAS CONVENIENT.  THE TUNER WAS
MOUNTED ON THE AFT CABIN BULKHEAD, JUST BELOW THE BACK STAY POSITION, SO IT
HAS SHORT CONNECTIONS TO BOTH THE ANTENNA BASE AND THE ENGINE GROUND.  I
WAS SURPRISED AT HOW WELL IT WORKED, SO I NEVER CHANGED IT, ALTHOUGH A
=  END OF 25 WPM TEXT  =  QST DE W1AW  <