How cold is it? (revised 7/98)

 

An annotated thermometer (amended for amateur radio, KL7J).

 

50F    - Miami rotators need heat applied

 

40    - Californians guywires shiver uncontrollably

        Wisconsinites go on field day

 

35    - Italian coax breaks

 

32    - Clean Water freezes

 

30    - You can see your breath freezing to the tower

        You plan your DX vacation to Australia

        Wisconsinites put on field day jackets

 

25    - Californians turn on car heater instead of radio

        Wisconsinites think of antenna projects

      Cat tries sleeping on your radio

 

20    - You can hear the antenna rotator groan

        Miami residents plan DX vacation further South

      Canadians enjoy outdoor operating field day

 

15    - You plan a DX vacation in Mexico sometime this winter

        Cat insists sleeping on your radio

 

10    - California coax breaks

        Minnesota hams finish up antenna work

      Alaskans still building antennas before winter

 

 5    - You turn on your amp to heat the shack

      You look up to see why the antenna seems slow rotating

      Ice detunes your yagi

     

 

 0    - Mobile radio LCD will not work

        Alaskans put on flannel shirts

        Coax freezes to the side of the house

 

-15   - Alaskans build a field day igloo

        North Dakota hams turn heat on in shack

        Miami hams cease to exist

 

-20   - Cat moves to sleeping on the amp

        Reading the technical manual becomes informative

        Wisconsinites note mild antenna icing

 

-25   - Too cold to operate without feet on keyed amp

        You need more than a new country to get DX'ers excited

      You burn the old radio ads for heat

 

-30   - You scrape ice off the inside of the shack windows

        You think of metal fatigue as the tower groans

      You learn something new reading the small print in the manuals

     

 

-40   - Californian hams disappear

        Wisconsinites note antenna rotators freezing

        Canadians decide to stop antenna work

       

-50   - Congressional hot air about band reallocation freezes

        Alaskans note the shack window has ice on the inside

      Minnesota hams stay inside to read radio Magazines

 

-80   - Alaskan rotators freeze (-82 F recorded in Alaska!)

        Alaskan coax breaks if moved

      You ask your travel agent for a DX vacation in Burmuda