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HIGH PERFORMANCE ANTENNA SYSTEMS FOR THE MOTIVATED HAM  A WORLD CLASS
ANTENNA SYSTEM REQUIRES A WORLD CLASS EFFORT TO DESIGN, RAISE, AND
MAINTAIN.  TOM TAORMINA, K5RC  IN MY 55 YEAR CAREER IN HAM RADIO, I HAVE
DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED FOUR MULTITOWER CONTEST STATIONS.  I HAVE ALSO
CONSULTED AND BEEN A PARTICIPANT IN BUILDING DOZENS MORE HF AND VHF
STATIONS FOR HIGHLY MOTIVATED HAMS.  DURING MY 33 YEARS IN SOUTH TEXAS, THE
SCOURGE OF MY ANTENNA SYSTEMS WAS NOT SNOW AND ICE, BUT FREQUENT
THUNDERSTORMS, TORNADOS, AND HURRICANES.  I HAD SEVEN TOWERS AT THE K5RC
MULTIOP STATION DURING THE 1970S AND IT WAS A CONTINUAL CHALLENGE TO HAVE
ENOUGH WORKING ANTENNAS AND ROTATORS AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CONTEST
SEASON IN OCTOBER.  WHEN WE BUILT NA5R IN THE 1980S, THE DESIGN GOAL WAS TO
BUILD TOWERS AND ANTENNAS THAT WOULD STAY UP FOR MORE THAN A YEAR AT A
TIME.  HURRICANE ALICIA TOOK DOWN ALL SEVEN TOWERS IN ONE EVENING.  AT
K5XI, WE HAD A 250 FOOT TOWER FOR 20 METERS WITH ROTATORS THAT WERE
CONTINUALLY DESTROYED BY WIND.  WHEN MY SPOUSE MIDGE, K7AFO, AND I MOVED TO
NORTHERN NEVADA IN 1997, WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS SNOW AND ICE TO CONTEND
WITH.  WE DECIDED TO BUILD A MODEST THREE TOWER STATION ON OUR MOUNTAINTOP.
CONTESTING WAS ADDICTIVE, AND WE NOW HOST THE COMSTOCK MEMORIAL STATION
WITH EIGHT TOWERS AND 33 ANTENNAS, INCLUDING STACKED 80 METER BEAMS.  THIS
‰  END OF 35 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ