‰ NOW 40 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM AUGUST 2012 QST PAGE 64‰ DRIVING IS JUST AS UNSAFE AS TEXTING WHILE DRIVING. AMATEUR RADIO IS A FANTASTIC HOBBY THAT MIRRORS OUR SOCIETY AND ITS MANY CULTURES. TO ME ONE OF THE GREATEST PLEASURES OF AMATEUR RADIO IS GETTING TO MEET PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO DRIVE THE BIG DIESEL RIGS HAULING THE CARGO THAT MAKES OUR MODERN LIFE POSSIBLE ARE NOT SOLITARY SOULS POPULARIZED IN COUNTRY MUSIC. SOME OF THESE DRIVERS ARE HAMS JUST LIKE YOU AND I. THEY ENJOY THEIR HOBBY AND STAY MCCOMB, W0JMC, WAS EXPLAINING THAT HE CARRIES A PORTABLE MAST TO SUPPORT A 25 FOOT VERTICAL ANTENNA ABOVE HIS TRAILER. WHEN SOLIDLY BONDED TO THE ALUMINUM TRAILER, THIS ANTENNA SYSTEM ALLOWS JACK TO PUT OUT A SUPER SIGNAL AT LOW ANGLES FOR DXING OR TO REACH HIS FRIENDS BACK HOME IN COLORADO. DIESEL DXING HAM RADIO AND TRUCKING ARE BOTH ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT AROUND THE WORLD SO IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A HAM TO CONTACT ANOTHER DRIVING A TRUCK IN SOME DX LAND. ON ONE OCCASION I CONTACTED DIEGO NICOLAS, EA5GTU, ON 20 METERS AS HE WAS DRIVING HIS CEMENT MIXER AROUND CARTAGENA, SPAIN DIEGO HAS BEEN DRIVING TRUCKS FOR 26 YEARS AND REALLY ENJOYS OPERATING SSB WITH HIS IC 7000 TRANSCEIVER AND MULTIBAND ANTENNA. HE RELATED STORIES TO ME OF SEVERAL LARGE MOBILE ANTENNAS THAT WERE DESTROYED AFTER TANGLING WITH OTHER EQUIPMENT OR STRUCTURES ON THE CONSTRUCTION SITES WHERE HE DELIVERS HIS CONCRETE. DIEGO HAS CONFIRMED 237 DXCC COUNTRIES, ALL FROM HIS TRUCK. HE GOT HIS START WITH RADIO AT AGE 12 USING CB RADIOS TO TALK WITH FRIENDS. THE DX BUG GOT TO HIM AND HE EVENTUALLY GOT HIS DIPLOMA DE OPERADOR AND LICENCIA DE ESTACISN OPERATOR PERMIT AND STATION LICENSE. WHEN TALKING ANTENNAS INSTALLED ON BIG TRUCKS HAVE A CLEAR ADVANTAGE OVER ANTENNAS ON FOUR WHEELERS CARS BECAUSE TRUCKS HAVE A LARGER GROUND PLANE OR SO YOU WOULD THINK. TODAYS TRUCKS ARE DESIGNED FOR FUEL EFFICIENCY AND BETTER AERODYNAMICS. IN ORDER TO REDUCE WEIGHT AND INCREASE FUEL ECONOMY TRUCK BODIES ARE MADE OF FIBERGLASS OR CARBON FIBER. IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO RUN AS MUCH AS 10 FEET OF 1 INCH BRAIDED WIRE FROM THE ANTENNA TO THE TRUCK FRAME TO GET A SOLID BOND TO GROUND. A GROUND IS IMPERATIVE FOR ANY MOBILE ANTENNA WHETHER ON A BIG TRUCK OR THE FAMILY SEDAN. JUST BECAUSE A BIG TRUCK CAN ACCOMMODATE LARGE ANTENNAS DOESNT MEAN HE CAN INSTALL WHATEVER HE WISHES. DEPENDING ON WHERE A DRIVER TRAVELS THERE MAY BE PHYSICAL OR SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS THAT LIMIT ANTENNA CHOICES. UNFORTUNATELY, SOME DRIVERS HAVE TO DELIVER THEIR LOADS TO SOME UNSAVORY AREAS AND AN EXPENSIVE LOOKING HAM RADIO ANTENNA CAN MAKE A TRUCK VERY ATTRACTIVE TO A CROOK. I MET DRIVER FRANK ARDIZZONE, K1MHV, WHEN HE WAS DELIVERING A TRAILER OF GROCERIES TO A LOCAL SUPERMARKET. FRANK ENJOYS HAM RADIO FROM HIS TRUCK BUT HE ONLY OPERATES 2 METER FM AND 10 METER SSB. HE SAYS THAT A TYPICAL VHF ANTENNA HAS A LOW PROFILE AND A 10 METER ANTENNA DOESNT LOOK MUCH DIFFERENT THAN A CB ANTENNA, SO THE THIEVES ARE NOT ATTRACTED TO HIS TRUCK. ON A VISIT TO ARRL HEADQUARTERS IN NEWINGTON, CONNECTICUT, DRIVER JACK ‰ END OF 40 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ