Welcome to W1DYJ's web site!

Larry Banks
 Continuously licensed since 1961.  
First as novice KN1VFX in Stratford, CT. in December 1961 
Received W1DYJ in 1966 while in college in the Boston area.
 I now operate from Woburn MA, 10mi north of Boston.
[ I also operated from Harpswell ME from 2008 to 2021 ]

Extra Class

Reviewed:  1 October 2025

 

Links Clubs Talks Antennas Talks Operating Travel

 

Woburn, MA, USA
FN 42 kl 33 nx
W 71° 8.21' N 42° 28.49'
[ Nov 1993 >> present ]

W1DYJ_qsl-MA-1.jpg (86153 bytes)

Woburn Antenna Analysis.gif (76145 bytes)

Contest Results Sites

ARRL

CQ

NCJ

Harpswell, ME, USA
FN 43 xs 91 pj
 W 70° 0.16'  N 43° 45.36'
[ July 2008 >> July 2021 ]

W1DYJ_qsl-ME-1.jpg (35749 bytes)

Harpswell Antennas
Harpswell Antenna Analysis.gif (83627 bytes)

This was all with 100 watts or less and with modest antennas.  Details
9BDXCC
80, 60, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10
Mixed: 298 cnf / 300 wkd
PH: 239    CW: 241   DIG: 273
DX Challenge: 1917
 160 / 6 Status
160: w-95 | c-94
 6: w-95 | c-94 

MA: 8BWAS
PH, CW, DIG, Triple Play
  80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10
 Needed on Other Bands
 160: AK, HI, WA
 60: HI
6: AK, HI

 ME: WAS: 6B
PH, CW, DIG, Triple Play
 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15
Needed for 5BWAS
  10 - MT, MN, RI
I am no longer active in ME 		VUCC
6M: 697 grids / 678 confirmed
WAZ
DXFC: 34
Contest / DX sites

QRZ

PSKReporter

DX-World.net

Hepburn Tropo Maps

WA7BNM Contest Calendar

3830 Submittal Forms

N3FJP's HamDash

Contest Online Score

 

Other Links

Software

Vendors

Propagation, etc.
N3FJP SW Davis RF Reverse Beacon

JT Alert

 HRO ON4KST Chat Page
WSJT CQ VOACAP
FLDigi MFJ Hepburn Tropo Maps
N7YG DE McMaster-Carr Sunspot Watch

General Info

 DX Engineering Space Weather
DLARC - Ham Archive PayPal Aurora Prediction
WW Radio Ops Foundation Antennas Mapcarta
Sherwood Rig Table

Sherwood Explained [FMH}

 JK Antennas AMSAT
Momobeam Heavens Above
Zero Falls Alliance InnovAntennas N2YO's Predictions

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Clubs

FEMARA
A Massachusetts non-profit corporation
that sponsors and runs the
ARRL New England Division Convention.
[A member of the ARRL Maxim Society]

Publication Editor  /  Board of Directors

YCCC



[Northeast NA region]

[Eastern Massachusetts]

Newsletter Editor since 2006
Trustee of repeater W1DYJ:
 449.775 in North Reading MA
Net Manager since 2006 of the
TIaOS Net: Tuesdays @ 8 PM
  Board of Directors

Member of the
K1KP Beam Team
 
 

W1HP
HP Alumni RC
 Ex- Hewlett-Packard ARC
Ex- HP/Agilent RC
Ex- Philips ARC 

North East Weak Signal Group
NEWS

A VHF and Up club
New England region

Merrymeeting ARA
MARA

A general purpose club
Brunswick (mid-coast region) Maine

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Publications

  
A 20M Moxon Rectangle (from QST ~ April 2009)
[Winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award]
 

QST_April_Cover_Plaque.jpg (138138 bytes)

 
This article is included in the ARRL Antenna Compendium Vol. 8 and
 also on the Supplemental Files CD of the ARRL Antenna Book, 23rd edition. 
 

 

Talks - Antennas

   
Antenna Modeling [Part I: EZNEC   |  Part II: TLW, YW, HFTA]
[Based on ARRL Antenna Book Software]

      Antenna Modeling Cover.jpg (82709 bytes)   Antenna Modeling Abstract.jpg (74592 bytes)   Antenna Modeling Conclusions.jpg (79747 bytes)
             Cover                Abstract          Conclusions

Presented at
Minuteman RA: March 2016 - Parts I & II
Merrymeeting ARA (ME): May 2016 - Part II
Minuteman RA: May 2020 - Part I & II
STARS [Sci-Tech ARS]: April 2021 - Part II
HamXposition 2021 @ Marlboro: September 2021 - Part II
Barnstable (MA) ARC: October 2021 - Part II
Billerica (MA) ARS: November 2021 - Part II
Framingham (MA) ARA: March 2023 - Part II
 Minuteman RA: November 2025 - Part I
 


Interactions between Antennas in a 10/15/20m Stack

Upper_HF_AntStack-cover.jpg (90655 bytes)    Upper_HF_AntStack-Sum1.jpg (74559 bytes)    Upper_HF_AntStack-Motive.jpg (78991 bytes)    Upper_HF_AntStack-Sum2.jpg (65264 bytes)
           Cover          Results Alone      Motivation         Results Stacked
 Presented at
 Minuteman RASeptember 2024     [recording]
 STARS [Sci-Tech ARS]: November 2024
 Merrymeeting ARA (ME): December 2024
Wellesley ARS: April 2025
HamXposition 2025 @ Marlboro: August 2025


A 10m FM Antenna to fit into my Attic

A 10m FM Antenna-cover.jpg (69261 bytes)    A 10m FM Antenna-agenda.jpg (73312 bytes)    A 10m FM Antenna-const.jpg (79472 bytes)    A 10m FM Antenna-results.jpg (68960 bytes)
             Cover                 Agenda          Construction           Results           
Presented at
Merrymeeting ARA (ME): May 2023
Minuteman RA: January 2024
 

 
Two Skyhooks for Antennas
 
Skyhooks-Cover.jpg (82658 bytes)    Skyhooks-6mDesign.jpg (97636 bytes)    Skyhooks-6mPhoto.jpg (77573 bytes)    Skyhooks-HFDesign.jpg (45158 bytes)    Skyhooks-HFPhoto.jpg (68909 bytes)
Cover                   6M Mast Design --- Photo              HF Mast Design --- Photo

Presented at
 Northeast HamXposition 2019 @Boxboro (September 2019)
Minuteman RA: September 2019
Merrymeeting ARA (ME): November 2019
HamXposition 2023 @ Marlboro: August 2023
 


One Ham's Journey with Antennas

Antenna Journey Cover.jpg (87056 bytes)     Antenna Journey Philosophy.jpg (81310 bytes)     Antenna Journey Fan Response.jpg (133117 bytes)      Antenna Journey Results.jpg (85734 bytes)
Cover                 Philosophy              Response                 Results   

Various (shorter) versions of this were presented at
 Framingham (MA) ARA: April 2018
Minuteman RA: May 2018
Billerica (MA) ARS: October 2018
PART of Westford (MA): November 2018
 

Brief: Some Thoughts on a 75/80m Fan Dipole
September 2022

75-80m_fan-cover.jpg (111411 bytes)
Brief: Low HF Antennas at W1DYJ
Presented at MARA: January 2021		 LowHF MA.jpg (96895 bytes)    LowHF ME.jpg (108215 bytes)
In MA                 In ME
Brief: 10m Antenna Suggections
Presented at MARA: February 2021		 10m Basic Dipole.jpg (116447 bytes)   10m Construction.jpg (62863 bytes)
Basic Dipole    Construction
Paper: 6M FM Simple Ground Plane 
November 2020		 Attic.jpg (147168 bytes)

  
A 40M Vertical with Elevated Radials                       [Unpublished Paper]

40M V title.jpg (58420 bytes)  40M V design.jpg (78473 bytes)  40M V final.jpg (60350 bytes)  40M V compare.jpg (84132 bytes)
Cover             Initial Design          Final Design           Results

Presented at
Merrymeeting ARA (ME): August 2014
YCCC: December 2014
  

   
 Modeling a Fan Dipole for DX

Fan_Dipole_Cover.jpg (86389 bytes)      Fan_Dipole_Map.jpg (99455 bytes)        Fan_Dipole_HFTA_Europe.jpg (136710 bytes)
Cover                  Orientation           HFTA to Europe

Presented at
Merrymeeting ARA (ME):  February 2012
QCWA #134: March 2012

3/2016: After adding the 40M vertical discussed above, this has now been changed to a totally different 80/30/20/10 dipole.

9/2017: Added loading coils and more wire to add 160M
7/2021: Dismantled when we left Maine.

80-20-10 response.gif (43845 bytes)

Brief: Reception of MMRA 220 FM repeaters: effect of antenna placement
January 2017

220 Survey.jpg (103365 bytes)      220 Repeater Data.jpg (98684 bytes)
Abstract         Results

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Talks - Operating


The New FCC RF Exposure Assessment

RF Exposure Cover.jpg (57670 bytes) RF Exposure Abstract.jpg (104026 bytes) RF Exposure Agenda.jpg (62116 bytes)  RF Exposure Assessment.jpg (107788 bytes)  RF Exposure Conclusions.jpg (100747 bytes)
       Cover               Abstract           Agenda          Assessment      Conclusions
Presented at
Merrymeeting ARA (ME):  February 2022
HamXposition 2022 @ Marlboro: August 2022
Minuteman RA: January 2023 << link to recording
 

    
FT8 and JTAlert

FT8 cover.jpg (60704 bytes)   FT8 Agenda.jpg (62470 bytes)  FT8 monitor.jpg (82448 bytes)  FT8 results.jpg (81963 bytes)
Cover             Agenda                Monitor         Final Thoughts

Presented at
W1HP Field Day: June  2018 (a very condensed version, as the educational bonus)
 Merrymeeting ARA (ME): September 2018 (a condensed version)
 Minuteman RA: March 2019 (an older version)
HamXposition 2019 @ Boxboro: September 2019 (an older version)
Maine Virtual Hamfest: March 2021    VIDEO (an older version)
 Minuteman RA: March 2025  VIDEO
HamXposition 2025 @ Marlboro: August 2025
Boston ARC: September 2025
  

  
Obtaining CW DXCC in SIX Months

CW DXCC Cover.jpg (64942 bytes)     CW DXCC goals.jpg (68105 bytes)     CW DXCC results.jpg (141581 bytes)      CW DXCC summary.jpg (77149 bytes)
Cover                        Agenda                   Results                  Summary

   Presented at
Merrymeeting ARA (ME): August 2015
Framingham (MA) ARA: February 2017
Minuteman RA: January 2021
HamXposition 2023 @ Marlboro: August 2023
   

Ham Radio: A High Level View
Presented at
Burlington MA Rotary Club: October 2017
 

Ham Radio_2025-Cover.jpg (58070 bytes)    Ham Radio_2025-agenda.jpg (67965 bytes)    Ham Radio_2025-Conclusion.jpg (101583 bytes)
   Cover                    Agenda              Conclusion

The  495th R/C Squadron: March 2025

Last Slide annotated.jpg (121436 bytes)

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Travel Photos
Iceland / Svalbard / Norway         July 2023
[Maren]              [Larry]
Morocco         April 2019
[Maren]              [Larry]
Iceland         August 2017
[Maren]              [Larry]
Nova Scotia          September 2015
[Maren]              [Larry]
New Zealand / Australia  February 2014
Southern Africa          January 2012
[Maren]              [Larry]
Alaska - Sept 2009
next in line		 Tuscany - April 2008
someday
Baha Mexico - Dec 2006
later		 Ireland - Sept 2005
later
Caribbean - Feb 2004
later		 New Orleans - April 2003
later