Don't be a doofus, be safe.

What use is an F-call? Real Hams have an RF burn scar. That's a signature from one of my Amateur friends. To that I can now add from personal experience, "or a drill hole." It all began innocently enough. I'm still looking for that elusive indoor antenna, something that will at least get me on air while I'm at home, something that doesn't spark the ire of my non-amateur neighbours, something that doesn't cost the earth and preferably something that will be portable enough to move around, pack up and bring to a field day when that opportunity arises. So, in my grand plan I came on the notion of using a $5 hula hoop to make a hula hoop loop. Suffice to say that I'm not the first amateur to try this, but I'm determined to have a go. I'm going to wind a hula hoop with helical windings, all the way around, and attach the contraption to my SG237 Antenna Coupler. Something else I learnt, my SGC Smartuner really is an antenna coupler. It becomes part of the antenna, which is why it needs to live close to the antenna. I spent one sleepless morning reading all about basically tuning up many and varied lengths of wire in different shapes and figured that a hula hoop would have lots of shape, be light, cheap and if I wind it helically, hold a whole lot of wire length. The jury on that is still out, because I was drilling a hole in a piece of steel that I was going to use to clamp the hoop to a tripod I have. I needed a 12mm hole, so picked up the appropriate drill-bit, drilled my hole, but the last two burrs just wouldn't give up. I don't have a vice in my workshop, which hints at what happened next. I managed to defy logic and drilled into my left hand - not on purpose, but demonstrably not smart. 2 stitches and $196 dollars later, I also learnt that my local GP has a good stitching hand, so there's that... Several lessons come from this: 1. Use the right tools. 2. Don't be impatient. 3. Scars are for life. 4. This is a hobby, not an exercise in self-harm. So, don't do what I just did, be safe, no RF burn scars, no drill holes, take your time and don't be a tool. I'll let you know when it heals how my antenna build goes. I'm doofus Onno, VK6FLAB