Daily Archives: 16/05/2009

The Curve

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So after dropping my Blackberry 8703 in the toilet the other day I have been without for the past three days. I was able to activate my wife’s old phone, but the battery quickly died leaving me phone less. After looking at and comparing phones I finally settled on the Blackberry Curve. Originally I had been leaning towards the iPhone, but did not really want to change carriers since I have had many issues with ATT and their uVerse product.

I then looked at the new Storm and compared it to a few other phones that Verizon offered. The reviews on the Storm were not good. I did not like how it interfaced, the touchscreen seemed cheap and not really well organized. So I went with the Curve on a few recommendations.

So now I sit here trying to add applications and data that was not able to be transferred over at the store. Thankfully I was able to recover my address book, but I had a year’s worth of dates and events on the calendar, which could not be saved, as well as images and other miscellaneous stuff. I have 30 days to play with it and see what I think of it. I doubt there will be anything newer released in that time, but who knows I might change my mind.

As for the rest of the toilet story, there really is none. But I tell you, I did not hesitate or think twice about going in to get the Blackberry. LOL.

SteppIR: Part 1

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Received e-mail confirmation from SteppIR that my cables and mounting post are in route from Washington and should arrive on Monday. Excellent! That is my Friday and give me almost three days to work on the area I plan on installing the BigIR at. I am still 3 weeks or so away from receiving the vertical, which is not a big deal, this gives me plenty of time to prep the area and run any necessary conduit to the shack and pull wires.

I am planning on digging out the 4′ mounting pole I have the 6-BTV clamped to. Half the of the 6-BTV is already removed after last week’s arcing incident. A check of damaged revealed nothing more than some scorching and the trap cap had a burn hole (melted) in it. I am not digging out the radials, I plan on peeling them back to allow me enough room to work in. I am going to remove a total of 24 radial, 16 of which are 7′ in length and will be replaced with longer radials.

Currently I am planning on using a concrete form 8″ wide and 2′ deep to set the 24″ inch mounting pole in. This pole needs to be 8″ to 10″ above the ground in which the BigIR will slide into. Prior to installing the BigIR I want to reinstall the 6-BTV for CQWW WPX – CW at the end of May. The only other upgrade prior to any antenna going up in replacing the short 7′ radials, which could prove interesting.

The positioning of the mounting post is only about 8′ from my fence in the backyard. I plan on digging under the fence in order to run 8-10 radials at a length of 40′ to 50′. The only modification I need to make to these longer radials will be the fact they are going to be running 10′ to the north followed by a bend to the east and the west, which will then parallel the fence bordering my backyard. I figure longer radials will be better even though their orientation won’t be due north. The remaining 8-10 radials will be doubled in length (at least) and point north. All of this occurring under my fence and off my property, which could potentially cause some problems, but I am willing to take that chance at this point.

With any luck I can pick up the concrete form by Monday, dig the hole and set the mounting post on Tuesday as well as cut the new radials and install them and hopefully be on the air by Tuesday night. If not, it gives me Wednesday to finish up the tasks I had yet to complete. looking forward to the new install.