Sounds to me like she needs to get an electrician or the power company to install a whole house surge protector with a good grounding system.

That sounds mighty expensive.  As she stated, it's only on that side of the house.

I received some more answers to questions I asked her this afternoon.  He does have the guy wire separated with an insulator....but at the top.  I'm now wondering if she is describing a terminated loop style antenna.

How tall is the tree? Are the roots growing thru or under the footers and foundation of the house? That doesn't sound like a good thing from a mechanical standpoint.

Sure doesn't.  I've asked her how long the tree has been there and if it has grown or had any significant changes happen to it since the tower went up.

It sounds as if these two are friends and he has been conversing with her on the issue.  She and he are involved in emergency preparedness, but she is not a ham.  He has loaned her two meter handhelds to listen to nets and such.

She said she was going to try and take some photos. 

Probably the easiest solution is for her to become a ham, the two of them get married, she moves into his house, she sells her house....and let the new home owners worry about it. 

73, Bill

I am not sure WHY this woman has singled me out for these questions.  Yes, I do have a ham business.  Maybe she has mass contacted many ham businesses.

I don't want to get the ham in trouble.  I also don't want this woman to be harassed by other hams.  In fact, to be honest, I don't know who these people are or where they are located.  I responded to the woman the first time because I thought her worry was going to be about RFI/TVI.

Here's what she wrote me on a follow-up to my original response:

Thank you for responding, here is the situation.  Several years ago my neighbor installed a ham radio tower, I am in no way opposed to his tower.  One of his guide wires is attached to a post with a ground wire going into a tree root system that goes under my house, it is about 13 feet from my house.  Since this installation, I have had many electrical issues during a lightning storm only on that side of the house.  Two years ago, my grinder pump was hit by and electrical current, exploded and had to be replaced.  Last year the ECM on my washer was hit and had to be replaced, last summer during an electrical storm, the static electricity was so great in my bedroom, which is on that side of the house, this year during our first electrical storm, I lost  a tv, two phones, and my air conditioning thermostat, all on that side of the house.  Nothing in the rest of the house has been disturbed.  Last year I replaced my ground rod, and the local electric company replaced a faulty insulator on the pole at the road.  My question is: is it possible, even if the tower is not struck by lightning, could electrical current be coming down into the tree root system and into my house.  I am at my wits end and just want to stop my house from burning down and or my family being hurt.  Any input you might have will be helpful.

Have any of you got any ideas on this?

I'm thinking her complaint might be legit.  However, the ham doesn't want to admit anything for fear of a lawsuit. 

I wonder if the ham is running some type of terminated antenna off this tower, thus the ground rod at the bottom of the guy wire.

If not, wouldn't it be best to just run ungrounded guy wires that are insulated at certain lengths along each wire???

73, Bill - WA8MEA

I had some hope about six weeks ago when the flux and sunspot numbers were growing and the bands really opened up. (Including ten....)

Since the solstice, it seems the bands are starting to sound just like last summer....maybe even worse. I'm not sure if I can put up with yet another year of this minimum. This minimum has been the longest in my lifetime.

There are so many hobbies within the hobby and for almost four decades, I've done many of them: Homebrew, refurbishing antique gear, qrp, amps, antennas, magic band, gentleman's band, two meter ssb, ARES-RACES, etc.

I have NOT tried PSK-31 as of yet and know very little about it. From what folks have told me....it appears to be a fun mode.

Any good books on the topic? My new AES catalog has nothing featured in the book section on PSK-31.

Yes, I could run a search. However, I would like to receive input from my fellow ham brethren on suggested titles and authors regarding PSK....

73, Bill - WA8MEA

I had some hope about six weeks ago when the flux and sunspot numbers were growing and the bands really opened up. (Including ten....)

Since the solstice, it seems the bands are starting to sound just like last summer....maybe even worse.  I'm not sure if I can put up with yet another year of this minimum.  This minimum has been the longest in my lifetime.

There are so many hobbies within the hobby and for almost four decades, I've done many of them: Homebrew, refurbishing antique gear, qrp, amps, antennas, magic band, gentleman's band, two meter ssb, ARES-RACES, etc.

I have NOT tried PSK-31 as of yet and know very little about it.  From what folks have told me....it appears to be a fun mode.

Any good books on the topic?  My new AES catalog has nothing featured in the book section on PSK-31.

Yes, I could run a search.  However, I would like to receive input from my fellow ham brethren on suggested titles and authors regarding PSK....

73, Bill - WA8MEA

I was pleased to see that the most recent appeal I received was for money trapped in Haiti, rather than Nigeria. I should be able to get the fortune much more quickly, then.
-------------------------------------------------
WB5JEO:

I come to you with great comfortableness and trust faith.

My father was the leader of the RESISTANT AMATEUR RADIO MOVEMENT of North Britain.  Unfortunately, our Christ Savior Lord took him in the great bison stampede of last year that struck his national country of originals.

He left behind many millions of doll-hairs.  I come to you with confidence that you would share this reward between us both, yes?

Please join with me into my wife and deposit said funds into your bank account for which I will withdraw my percent of the rewards.

All that is required is your banking numerals and routing alphabets.

I see forward to listening from you and grant you good heath.

Mr. Obama bin Busch
Grand Prix NASCAR driver

We have a winner!!!!
------------------------------------
The Happy Station Show by Edward Startz aka “Eddie”

73 Ed  W3ERE
------------------------------------
Thanks, Ed!  You are absolutely correct!  

Personally, I didn't find the program all that interesting.  

I enjoyed the VOA.  They use to have some great programming back in the 60's and early 70's.  Science programs, history programs, a jazz program hosted by Willis Conover, the African Service had some great music.  Good stuff.

Congrats and Merry Christmas!

Santa Bill - WA8MEA

Nope.

And please don't give the answer away!  I just sent you an e-mail with the right answer since you said you didn't want in on the contest....
;-)

Thanks

Bill

My last question didn't go over so hot, but I did say it was a trick question.  

Yes, I had a few replies that stated RCA phono as the answer.  HOWEVER, there was a quirk that I discovered after manufacturing a batch of TinyTenna's for RS DX440/Sangean 830A receivers in the 1990's.  I started getting a bunch of them back saying they didn't work.  I knew better.

It took a while, but I soon noticed that there are two different types of RCA phono plugs/jacks out there.  Long center pin and short center pin.

The 440/803's were made so a LONG PIN RCA phono plug was required.  If you used a short pin phono plug, it never made contact with the jack and you were left wondering why you weren't receiving a dang thing on your radio.

So the correct answer was an RCA phono jack that required a LONG PIN phono plug.

Anyway, let's scrap that question and try something easier.

Again, for a FREE TinyTenna Active Antenna....no strings attached....I pay the shipping....

From 1928 until 1995, Radio Nederlands had a special Sunday program.

What was the name of that program and what was the name of very first host of that program?

First e-mail to tinytenna@hotmail.com

....gets the free antenna!

Merry Christmas from Santa Bill - WA8MEA
http://HamRadioFun.com

For those of you who are not familiar, this time of year I like to play Santa Ham on eHam.  I give away free goodies for all good little ham OM's and YL's....

I recently gave away a little QRP transmitter in the ELMER'S forum.  Now I'm going to pop in here and give away an active antenna.

For a FREE "TinyTenna" Active Antenna (no strings attached....), all you have to do is answer this question via e-mail:

What type of antenna jack did the Sangean 803A/Radio Shack DX-440 receiver have? (Trick question! Be specific!)

First e-mail to:

tinytenna@hotmail.com

wins a free TINYTENNA!

73 and MERRY CHRISTMAS from Santa Bill - WA8MEA
http://HamRadioFun.com

Has something changed on the 60 meter band where CW is now allowed???

I am currently listening to KD8IFJ on 5330.5 kHz.

The amazing thing is, if it is still NOT allowed, how come so many other hams are replying to his CQ's???

This has been going on for several hours now....

73 and Merry Christmas from Bill

Gee, thanks for the flowers fellas....

Sure felt good to read this, after the highly rude e-mail I just received from a ham who wanted his antenna hand delivered....I guess. (I sent him the confirmation info.  It's sitting in his friggin' mailbox!)

Some people just do not understand that things take a little longer to process and ship this time of year.

Again, I might pop in here to eHam one of these days and give away something else in another forum.

BTW, the winner was Erik.  If I remember his call, I think it was K6IT.  He was the first e-mailer and gave me a list of about ten clubs.

I can't recall if I saw the Michigan QRP Club on any of the entries....

73, Bill - WA8MEA
http://HamRadioFun.com

I like doing this every Christmas.  Maybe it's the Santa in me....

Which reminds me, I sure miss Mick W6S/WO6T-SK.  I was SO looking forward to my first grandson talking to him this year.  He spoke with all five of my sons.  I was hoping Mick would get to my next generation.  I often worked him in contests.  Sure seems empty on the bands this Christmas without him.

Anyway, back to the subject.  A little contest.  I will give away FREE, one of my Peanut Whistle Two 40 meter QRP CW transmitters to the FIRST PERSON who responds by e-mail to this message.  

All you have to do is please give me the names of FIVE QRP clubs.  I don't care if they're local, national or international clubs.

No strings attached.  I pay for shipping.

Just send me an e-mail to:
tinytenna@hotmail.com

First response gets it!  Even if you think it's too late, give it a try anyway.  You might get lucky!

(And look around in other forums between now and Christmas for other goodies I'll be giving away....)

Ready, set.....GO!

73 and Merry Christmas from
Santa Bill - WA8MEA
DWM Communications

Scott:

Just an update....

The fella you recommended:

http://www.expandedspectrumsystems.com/prod4.html

What a nice dude!  Says he will ship while your check is on the way.  Says he's been doing business like this for years and has never been screwed.

We must've chatted for an hour or more.  Great fella.

With those crystal prices, I'm tempted to offer our PW-2 with free crystal for a Holiday Special.  I'll talk with my webmaster and see what he thinks....

Thanks once again....

Bill - WA8MEA
http://HamRadioFun.com

Thanks Scott!

This website is familiar to me.  I do recall how I couldn't believe his prices and maybe that's why I didn't pursue.  Only $2.55?  Wow!!!!

So I called and left a message on his voice mail.  I mentioned that my company was looking for a new crystal source for my little PW-2 QRP transmitters.

He must buy a ton of these in bulk to offer at just $2.55 each.

BTW, I mentioned in my voice mail that I was referred to him by a fellow ham on an eHam forum....

73, Bill - WA8MEA
http://HamRadioFun.com

I looked through quite a few "pages" here in the QRP section and didn't see anything on the topic.

Crystals.  Besides AF4K, is there anyone out there that carries bulk crystals?

I'm not talking about crystal mfg'ers.  

73, Bill