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Strange question for WAshington-ians...

I've lived around here for 20+ years but I can't think of any off-hand. Does anyone know of a long-ish stretch of highway with those old metal guard rails?

Here's why I'm asking...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWsdaSmWg7E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R9k6A6aUrk

Just something fun and quirky I'd like to try one day...

Hwy 112 to Neah Bay.

Or all those new wire barriers they installed all over the place...

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"A well regulated breakfast, being necessary to the healthy start of the day, the right of the people to keep and eat food shall not be infringed."

I think there's a few segments on SR-14...

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Mt Wave SAR member
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yea the wire ones, also out on east wa any "old highway"

that is a rad idea, I am going to try this.

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If I had an antenna, I would; but I can only transmit on 160 meters.
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DE K7MHI

Another ideal spot would be the Blue mountains just east of Pendleton, OR. I believe they have a typical 3-wire fence for "miles" along I-84. Combine that with the elevation, no man-made EMI for miles, and I would think you'd have one heck of an antenna!

I think there's a spot like this on I-90 Eastbound just past SnoPass but I think it's private land.

I know there is some of the same heavy railing along Highway 821 (aka Canyon Rd.) south of Ellensburg along the Yakima River. Matter of fact, I was watching a flyfishing show on FSN this morning and they were fishing in the lower canyon. You could see the guardrail in the background. Also along Highway 10 (again, along the Yak) out of Cle Elum.

Great posting, I really like the concept. Brings new meaning to the term roughing it. MANY years ago when I shared an apartment with a college mate I tried something similar. Utilizing several hundred feet of city installed handrail, I was able to log tons of MW and LW stations. We didn't have the room for a long wire, and it sure beat the hell out of a cheesy active whip antenna. Much cheaper also. Let us know how it goes.

Post 911, hooking up to guardrail. You better have ham plates, car antennas, the whole nerd thing going on bigtime to avoid getting shot as a spy, OK not shot, but hassled for sure.
Why can't you use the ground wire coming down from the poll (isolated somehow) or better the shield of a cable system as a big antenna?

Should've seen the looks I was getting the week before last parked on a dirt road near Mt Rainier with my port-a-tower up and little ground plane atop it....

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President-in-Exile, Seattle Area Radio Communications And Scanner Traffic Intercept Crew (SARCASTIC)
Don't feel bad if you can't use your STD100/200; there are still people using Digital Frequency Search!
Bunnery definition for the under-fives

I've used a cable system as an HF antenna. Worked awesome.

Yeah, but did the cable system work after you were done?

My college Electronics teacher had two wooden ladders with an aluminum ladder across the top (upside down u configuration) and loaded it up on HF. I would like to try that it sounds like fun.

30 foot spider wire antenna:

I lived on the 3rd floor of a condo that didn't allow antennas.

I would spool out 30 feet of spider silk thin wire I would harvest from drum inductors from 1970's AM radios.

you couldn't see the wire at all it was so thin. if you walked into it, you would break it and it would feel just like walking into a spider web. It was so fragile I would have to rerun it every month cuz the wind took it away.

great RX, Never loaded it up with more then 5 watts though.