Operating from a beach

[KQ4EHE]

Hey everyone, I'll be in South Carolina near Hilton Head for the first weekend in August, and there's so many parks to activate! Are there any special considerations for operating on an east coast beach? Optimal times of day or antenna deployments to reach Europe? Is vertical my best bet?

I should have supplies to build a couple more antennas by then, right now I have a Tufteln 40m EFHW, home brew 28.5' RW, and a OCF 40m dipole I've yet to trim and test. I probably have enough wire to make a 40m dipole as well.

[kc0myw]

My first reaction to your question would be to use a 20m or 17m vertical with a radial into the salt-water. I'm sure there are other things that would work, but that would have a fairly small footprint and not rely on as many trees/supports as a dipole or such. I would also guess that earlier in the day would be better than later (both locations in daylight) for 17m and 20m although greyline propagation can be interesting at times.

Other considerations for operating from a beach:
1. Lots of other people around and keeping them away from your antenna while transmitting and not getting in the way of their enjoyment of the beach
2. Headphones so you can hear the radio over the noise of the people/wind/waves/traffic but not so noise cancelling that you lose awareness of your surroundings
3. If the wind is blowing at all (and it usually is on a beach) the fine beach sand will work it's way into EVERYWHERE. Keep this in mind for protecting your equipment as well as any bags or cases you carry it in
4. Finally don't forget to splash in the water, play in the sand, and just enjoy the beach for awhile with the radio put away.

I know there are a lot of operators that have had huge success from beaches and hopefully they will chime in with some tips. I've only attempted from a beach once and wasn't even getting picked up by the RBN with a few CQ calls on CW so decided to pack it up and just enjoy the beach. The other two or three times I've had the opportunity there just seemed to be too many people on the beach for me to feel comfortable dragging out my equipment and putting up an antenna so just enjoyed the beach and water for what it was those days as well.

[Andrew (grayhat)]

just to give you an idea, have a look here

https://www.proantennas.co.uk/i-pro-traveller

[KQ4EHE]

My first reaction to your question would be to use a 20m or 17m vertical with a radial into the salt-water. I'm sure there are other things...

All great advice! My partner and I will probably be seeking out the least crowded area we can - We'll be nearby to a few nature preserves that might let me throw an antenna up in a tree somewhere not on a sandy beach - Hunting Island State Park's a good one we went to last year. We'll see what happens, I'll just be happy to turn my phone off and not be in the city.

[Andrew (grayhat)]

My first reaction to your question would be to use a 20m or 17m vertical with a radial into the salt-water. I'm sure there are other things...

All great advice! My partner and I will probably be seeking out the least crowded area we can - We'll be nearby to a few nature preserves that might let me throw an antenna up in a tree somewhere not on a sandy beach - Hunting Island State Park's a good one we went to last year. We'll see what happens, I'll just be happy to turn my phone off and not be in the city.

search the 'net for "hunting island surfcasting" you'll find some good spots like these

https://www.friendsofhuntingisland.org/fishing

just to say, you may setup your antenna on a telescopic rod on the pier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcXjRqCc8dE

[SkipRD]

Hey everyone, I'll be in South Carolina near Hilton Head for the first weekend in August, and there's so many parks to activate! Are there any special considerations for operating on an east coast beach? Optimal times of day or antenna deployments to reach Europe? Is vertical my best bet?

I should have supplies to build a couple more antennas by then, right now I have a Tufteln 40m EFHW, home brew 28.5' RW, and a OCF 40m dipole I've yet to trim and test. I probably have enough wire to make a 40m dipole as well.

I don't watch YouTube anymore, but there is a channel called something like "Coastal Waves and Wires." The guy operates a lot from the North Carolina shore, Outer Banks, etc., testing a variety of antennas, radials, etc., oftentimes right along the water's edge. If you're sitting around and have nothing to do, his channel might give you some ideas.

73 Skip K4EAK