This article was written for This Week in Amateur Radio by Bill Continelli, W2XOY, who also wrote the Wayback Machine series.

WEAVER STREET

This is Bill Continelli, W2XOY, and I'd like to explain why Real Hams can't drive down Weaver Street, here on the W0KIE Satellite Network.

Three memorable events occurred in my life in 1971. I turned 18, I graduated from high school, and I passed my General. To celebrate, I bought myself an old VW Bus, and installed radios for 11, 10, 6, and 2 meters. Thus began my lifelong love of mobile operations.

I soon encountered a problem; the VW Bus was 76 inches tall. With four antennas on the roof, my total height was 136 inches, or 11 feet, four inches. I had to park on the street, as the driveway at my parents' house had an eight foot clearance by the back door. Parking garages were now off limits. Still, except for these two restrictions, I had no problems in getting around. My hometown, Buffalo, NY, is very flat, and is laid out in a combination spoke/grid pattern. Clearances under railroad bridges were at least 12 feet. No street was off limits. Even when I upgraded to a Ford Econoline van (80 inches tall) my overall height was only 11 feet, eight inches; low enough to make it under any bridge. I had a ball mobile, working hundreds of stations across town, and across the world.

When I moved to Albany, NY, in the early 80's, however, I ran into trouble.  Unlike Buffalo, the Capitol District of NY is not centralized. It consists of three medium sized cities, and half a dozen smaller cities and villages hemmed in by hills, valleys, and two major rivers. It is also a far older area than Buffalo, filled with densely populated narrow streets that climb steep hills and twist and turn through small valleys. In many areas there was simply no room to allow for adequate clearances under bridges, as a result, there are over 10 bridges with clearances less than 11 feet. One is just three blocks from my office.

I had a choice, put on shorter antennas, or learn alternate routes.   I kept The antennas, of course. It wasn't hard to find other streets, and soon, I thought I had the problem solved.

Until I came to Weaver Street.

I was living in Rotterdam, a suburb of Schenectady. According to the map,  The shortest distance from Point A (my house) to Point B (downtown Schenectady) was down Weaver Street.  I set out one day on a trip downtown.  I never made it.  I turned on to Weaver Street. One hundred feet later, I saw the sign, and the bridge. The clearance? Eight feet, nine inches. I came to a complete stop, with cars honking behind me. I couldn't believe it-eight feet, nine inches on a major street? I made a u-turn and went home. I looked at the Ford van and asked myself "are these antennas REALLY worth it"?? I got in the van, drove around, worked Scotland and the Virgin Islands repeater on 10 meter FM, came home and said "YES!!!".  

And so, I avoided Weaver Street. I eventually traded the van in for a Ford Escort wagon. The wagon was only 56 inches tall, but my problem actually became worse. For, at the same time I got the Escort, I also bought an Icom 725 HF mobile rig, and Hamsticks for 75 through 10 meters. The Hamsticks were 8 foot tall. With a four inch spring, my total height was now 13 feet. Dozens of streets were now off limits; not just because of low bridges, but also because of trees, and even some cable or phone lines. My parents had also moved to the Albany area. But-shades of 1971- I couldn't pull in their driveway, thanks to a cable line only 11 feet high.

Believe it or not, that wasn't the worst.

The Escort was equipped with the ICOM HF rig, a six meter sideband radio, a dual-band mobile unit, a 10 meter FM rig, and a CB radio. How did I fit all of these in an Escort? Simple- I turned the front passenger seat into a radio platform. My two kids were young at the time, they rode in the back seat. When we went out as a family, we took my wife's minivan. On the rare occasions we had to use my car, the wife and kids were crammed into the back of the Escort, while the radios rode shotgun. Yes, they complained, but I had 37 states and 31 countries logged. The radios and antennas stayed.

But times change, and life evolves. The ICOM developed a transmit problem, The tri-mag mount corroded, the kids were growing, and the Escort was old. I traded in the old wife for a newer, vastly improved model (a great deal!!), and the Escort for a Hyundai.

The new car was smaller than the Escort, and had only two doors. For a change of pace, I decided on a radically different approach. The radio presence in the Hyundai would be minimal, a dual band HT, and a small CB. Both easily fit in the center console. A three foot CB mag mount on the trunk, and a dual band glass mount were the only antennas. My new height was only 76 inches, or six feet, four inches.

New worlds were opened up to me. I discovered something called "Drive Thru", wherein one can purchase food or conduct banking business from the comfort of the driver's seat. I explored the inside of something called a "parking garage", and marveled at my ability to drive unimpeded through such a structure. I enjoyed the sensation of actually having my passenger next to me, instead of somewhere behind me.

And I drove down Weaver Street.

I was scared. I watched my speedometer as I approached the bridge-10, 20 30MPH!!! I braced for the impact, but nothing happened.

People no longer starred at my car. My kids were no longer embarrassed to Ride with me. My wife was happy.

But I wasn't. There was a void in my life that couldn't be filled with QSO's on the local repeater.And I started to hear the whispers. The voices kept saying "If you call CQ, They will answer".

Like I said earlier, times change and life evolves. My older daughter is now 17, has her driver's license and her own car. My driving patterns changed, and 99% of the time, I drive alone, or with only one passenger.

In 2003, I turned 50. It was time for my midlife crisis. I bought a Yaesu

FT-8900 Quad Band rig, and an ICOM IC-718 HF radio. I dug out my Hamsticks. My co-worker, Jim, KE2YZ, gave me a tri-mag mount. And so, one Saturday morning, I once again turned the front passenger seat into a radio platform, and increased my vehicle's height to 13 feet. My younger daughter isn't too keen on riding in the back seat, and I got the Look of Death from my wife when she had to ride there. Once again, I am banished from dozens of streets. I abandoned Weaver Street, the drive-thru's and the parking garages without a backward glance. My car draws stares from people on the street. I can't pull in my parents' driveway anymore.

Was it worth it? I check into ECARS and the 10-10 net on a regular basis. I can work Europe on my 10 minute commute to work. And I can access 10 meter repeaters from Florida to Texas

For me, the answer is yes. The voices are satisfied. I am complete.

This is Bill Continelli, W2XOY, for "This Week in Amateur Radio".