Jaybeams

I found this old picture of my antennas as they were about 15 years ago. I bought the Jaybeam antennas in 1973 and first put them up on the chimney of my parents house , then moved them to my house. They were actually up and used for almost 30 years!
On the chimney is the rotator with 8 element beam for 144Mhz (Jaybeam), 18 element parabeam for 432Mhz (Jaybeam) and at the top is my home made 10 over 10 slot fed yagi for 1296Mhz. I worked stations in France and Switzerland on this little antenna with less than 1 watt, made out of copper plumbing pipes and connectors!

On the side of the house is a rotatable mast with a horizontal 70Mhz 2 element beam. (This was actually a cut down Band 1 television aerial) Above is a vertical 144Mhz HB9CV (Which I still use for portable) There is also a 432Mhz folded dipole for FM on 432Mhz, but you can't see it on the photo.

It was only when the rotator stopped working and I lost a couple of elements from the 8 element that I decided to take them down. At the time I had lost some interest in amateur radio, things were pretty boring on the bands and locally there was little interest. My equipment went into mothballs and I also got rid of most of my construction components...including my VALVES!

It was sad that I lost the plot and really thought that amateur radio was dead with coming of mobile phones and computers.

I cannot believe that I took my antennas down to the local recycling centre! How I miss the 18 element parabeam!
Now I have bought new antennas, but you can't beat the old Jaybeams! Built like a brick Sh** House! Every 5 years or so I took down the antennas and cleaned them with wire wool and coated everything in grease or vaseline. They always looked like new!