Wednesday, July 4, 2012

he Palos Verdes Peninsula was originally part of enormous ranchos owned by Dominguez and Sepulveda. "Palos Verdes" is a Spanish phrase that roughly means "green stalks" or "green wood". A New York investment syndicate led by banker Frank Vanderlip bought the entire Peninsula sight unseen from a failed developer in the early 1910s for only $1.5 million (the price of a single average home today). For Vanderlip, a man with vision and money, such an enormous piece of undeveloped land along the Pacific, so close to Los Angeles, must have been a "no-brainer". Development began in the Malaga Cove area in the 1920s. Vanderlip hired the famous Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm (sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of Manhattan's Central Park), to help design and plan the communities. To this day all of the Palos Verdes towns have very strong architecture and development committees that tightly regulate building. The cities' collective efforts have been exceptionally effective in preserving open space and avoiding overdevelopment. kg4ktl
Manhattan Beach One of the best beaches for winter riding, Manhattan Beach takes the cake for large surfs (and waves with fast closeouts). Expect big waves and ideal opportunities to practice your aerials. 400-500 The Strand, Manhattan Beach Hermosa Beach One of LA’s hippest beaches, Hermosa Beach boasts some of the area's best waves, though at times the water can be colder than you’d expect for California weather (consider a wetsuit). The break is best during low tide and during the fall and winter. Hermosa Avenue and 33rd Street, Hermosa Beach.... kg4ktl
The G5RV is an easy-to-build 80-10 dipole requiring no traps. All bands are covered, including 30, 17, and 12. The G5RV has high SWR, by
design, on most bands and a tuner is required. Unlike most dipoles, the "basic" design is not a 1/2 wave, but instead a 3/2 wave dipole on 20
meters
The 75 meter dipole at K7ZB was put up to meet the need for making contacts with friends in the Southwest and Southern California. As usual, it had to be put up so no one can see it from the surrounding neighborhood.

The objective was accomplished as shown below, which is the site drawing for the installation. It follows the contour of the home, yard and landscaping as much as possible - sacrificing gain and pattern for merely pumping a signal into the clouds and surrounding area.

K7ZB painted the wire forest green to match the background of the foliage or desert sand to match the usual house paint used in the majority of residences in the Valley of the Sun.

It is very hard to see even when you know it's there!