I use to work the RS birds and just loved it, now of course there is nothing like that. I swore I"d never do the FM birds cause I don't even do the FM Repeaters. I've lived near Rapid City, SD for 21 years and can count the number of times I've been on the reapeaters here on one hand. Sorry they just don't do anything for me.

I've broke down and decieded I want to get on the FM birds. The radio will be mostly my FT-817 or I can go FT-857D if I get the urge.

I see antennas like the Arrows where 2 beams are on the same boom, is there a real advantage to this?? My antenna will be mounted outdoors and I'm going in the direction of 2 antennas on a cross boom. I'm not that interested in parading around in a parking lot carring a antenna and looking silly.

How much antenna do I really need? I have tried listening on the FT-817's rubber duck antenna with no results. I thru together a hastly built one element egg beater type. (a site to see, held together by duct tape.) The other nite I almost heard AO-51.

My next step is tearing off the eggbeater and duct taping a 3 el yagi to the yardstick. I want to see the difference and maybe learn something while playing.

I'll go now cause I'm probably wasiting your time thanks for reading this.

Jerry - NR5A - South Dakota