Some people have posted messages about rolling antenna wire into an empty chalkline reel -- it would make a fine container, and it would make retrieving the wire fast.
Today I tried rolling some #22 insulated copper stranded wire (90 feet purchased at my friendly Rad Shak) -- and probably only 60 + feet went in. Anyone had any luck getting as much as 100 feet in? Where can one buy #26 or so insulated wire? Rad Shak doesn't seem to carry anything smaller than #22. I checked out my local ham flea market last weekend with no luck.
Has anyone tried winding enameled one-strand magnet wire into a chalkline reel? Due to lack of plastic insulation, it should be possible to get 100 feet of wire in OK. Trouble with magnet wire is that it can get kinks in it easily, it can be unwieldy and it can stretch.
I definitely want to stay with copper wire for this application.
BTW, I took my 817 and my Emtech ZM2 tuner and attached adhesive velcro strips to the top of the 817 back behind the speaker, and to the side of the ZM2, so now the tuner can be held to the top of the 817 with velcro. A short section of coax runs between the front of the rig and the tuner. Now the controls of the ZM2 are as easily accessible to the operator as are the controls of the 817.
Bands didn't seem to be doing much this weekend. Quite a bit of QRN here.
-- Bil KD6JUI
