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Thread: A Note

  1. #1
    Orca Whisperer W3WN's Avatar
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    A Note

    Prelude:
    Under the US Flag flying in front of the house(don't tell anyone that the flagpole is really an HF vertical, at least not until I get the coax run fixed), we've been flying a secondary flag. Normally, it's a Pittsburgh Pirates "Raise the Jolly Roger" flag -- as some of you may recall, my wife is a (baseball) Pirates fanatic.

    However: For several months now, since shortly after the end of the 2020 season (and prior to the election), we've been flying a different flag. Little Miss Field Day asked if we could do so, in large part to counter the many pro-Drumpf signs, banners, and flags that several of our neighbors (including some whom I thought knew better, but I digress, and this isn't the political sub-forum).

    It's a Pride flag. Specifically, the Bisexual Pride Flag. I'm sure I don't have to explain to most why that flag means a lot to her.

    She anticipated some backlash, or at least, some comments from the neighbors (along with some other visible things, but again, I will not digress). Silence. Not a word. Nada.

    Until...

    Today

    LMFD was visiting today, as it was her day off... and her car was getting it's annual inspection at the garage down the street. (Necessary digression: She moved into her own place in January; yes, the Boss and I have the house to ourselves again. Yes, we miss her, but it was time.) She noticed something in the mailbox, hours ahead of our usual late afternoon mail delivery.

    A note. Written in a young person's hand; we're guessing middle school or high school at the oldest.

    It read:

    Hello to the person that reads this note. I just wanted to tell you that the Bi flag in front of our house means a so much to me, and I can look at that flag, and think "it'll get better". I'll have one of these someday. Thank you.

    We have no idea who put this there. There's a few young boys up the street, living with their dad in the grandmother's and aunt's house; another boy across the street from them, and a young lady next door. A few more walk up past the house to the next street up. And the school bus passes by, a few times a day, coming and going. So it could be anyone. It could have been a visitor to someone. Who knows?

    We're just floored that such a little gesture had a big impact.

    Sadly... LMFD is planning to retrieve the flag for use at her new place sometime soon, and with Spring Training around the corner, the RTJR flag should be going back up. That was the plan, at lest. After this note, though... we'll see.

    Thought a few of you around here would appreciate the note.

    73
    “Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. 90% of the people don’t care, the other 10% are glad it happened.” — Clint Hurdle, 2019

    BAN THE DH!

    Fudd's First Law of Opposition: If you push something hard enough, it WILL fall down.
    Teslacle's Deviant to Fudd's Law: It goes in, it must go out.

    Just remember: Abraham Lincoln didn't die in vain. He died in Washington, DC

    Cutch 2K!!

    “Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Trump golfed.” — Bernie Sanders

    Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati


  2. #2

  3. #3
    Orca Whisperer PA5COR's Avatar
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    Get another flag and put it up.
    Good for you ;)
    "If the Republicans will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop
    telling the truth about them." - Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965)
    “I’m not liberal/conservative, I’m anti-idiotarian.”
    At some point in the last 20 years, the left moved to the center, and the right moved into a mental institution

  4. #4
    "Usual Suspect" WZ7U's Avatar
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    Agreed. Get LMFD a brand new one and fly both of yours on the antenna, um, flag pole.

    Like that post was...
    Moving on, my posts are not helpful

  5. #5
    'Grumpy old bastid' kb2vxa's Avatar
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    Wow, just wow. Giving NSLMFD (Not So Little Miss Field Day now) a new flag and you flying her old one is a good idea, that's what I would do. If I were a Pirates fan I'd fly one that says Pittsburgh on it, here at the shore only cornballs fly the Jolly Roger, the bats wouldn't always be clearly visible. As far as the American flag is concerned, I see several houses that may legally be fired on, I kid you not. I stopped flying the Battle Ensign quite some time ago. THIS is the flag I display proudly, you should too, it's the US Civil Flag aka the Peace Flag, I call it the Patriot's Flag.

    US Civil Flag.jpg
    "The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you."
    Neil deGrasse Tyson

    73 de Warren KB2VXA
    Station powered by atomic energy, operator powered by natural gas.

  6. #6
    "Usual Suspect" WZ7U's Avatar
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    Maybe you need two flag poles Ron.

    Like that post was...
    Moving on, my posts are not helpful

  7. #7
    Orca Whisperer W3WN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WZ7U View Post
    Maybe you need two flag poles Ron.
    Well, there is the experimental (hopefully) 45 foot 160 vertical in the backyard...
    “Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. 90% of the people don’t care, the other 10% are glad it happened.” — Clint Hurdle, 2019

    BAN THE DH!

    Fudd's First Law of Opposition: If you push something hard enough, it WILL fall down.
    Teslacle's Deviant to Fudd's Law: It goes in, it must go out.

    Just remember: Abraham Lincoln didn't die in vain. He died in Washington, DC

    Cutch 2K!!

    “Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Trump golfed.” — Bernie Sanders

    Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati


  8. #8
    Administrator N8YX's Avatar
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    Derailing the thread ever so slightly:

    My primary PSK/FT8 antenna is a Hustler 6BTV. This design readily lends itself to being encapsulated in a PVC pipe radome and thus becomes a flagpole. Plans are to put one of these up in my front yard and use it to fly Old Glory.

    But what of our state flag? I have several BTVs in pieces in the garage and am planning to construct one that will give me 11/12/17/60 - and possibly 160, centered right on the FT8 section of the band. Both the FC-75AT tuner and the FL-7000 amplifier have provisions to automatically select an antenna per band, and I may use either with the digi-modes FT-980 portion of the station. Two flagpoles, 11 bands. The antennas can serve as a backup to the station's main arrays if anything were to happen to them.

    Back on thread: I had the unfortunate task of playing pallbearer for 'DSG's mother a couple of Fridays ago. Her partner was another, and she lost her grandfather last Friday. A sad time all around for both of them.
    Last edited by N8YX; 01-27-2021 at 10:47 AM. Reason: Grammar
    "Everyone wants to be an AM Gangsta until it's time to start doing AM Gangsta shit."

  9. #9
    Orca Whisperer W3WN's Avatar
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    Please pass on my condolences to 'DSG. Very sorry to hear this.
    “Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. 90% of the people don’t care, the other 10% are glad it happened.” — Clint Hurdle, 2019

    BAN THE DH!

    Fudd's First Law of Opposition: If you push something hard enough, it WILL fall down.
    Teslacle's Deviant to Fudd's Law: It goes in, it must go out.

    Just remember: Abraham Lincoln didn't die in vain. He died in Washington, DC

    Cutch 2K!!

    “Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Trump golfed.” — Bernie Sanders

    Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati


  10. #10
    'Grumpy old bastid' kb2vxa's Avatar
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    Same here. Ron, I've mentioned the grounded vertical folded unipole before and how AM broadcast stations use it to get the signal out farther with a shorter tower. Since you're experimenting with a 160M vertical that's WAY too short to be efficient, why not extend the radiator to 60 ft and make it into the afore mentioned grounded vertical? You'll not only have a far better radiator for good nighttime DX and it works well on 75-80M and 40M as well, above that tuning gets too narrow and critical. Of course you'll need a remote tuner at the base, and being grounded you don't have to worry about lightning.
    "The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you."
    Neil deGrasse Tyson

    73 de Warren KB2VXA
    Station powered by atomic energy, operator powered by natural gas.

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