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« on: September 18, 2022, 0326 UTC »
Yup, I've stripped magnet wire from junked equipment. PITA but it worked.
But Tandy Corp and Radio Shack *were* local, and used to have a couple of outlet stores here in Foat Wuth. One was a bargain store with discontinued items, new/old stock stuff in damaged packaging, etc. The other was basically their junk shop, often good stuff, no packaging, often without any documentation, but giveaway prices. So I bought a bunch of magnet wire cheap in various gauges.
Cheap enough that I considered it disposable. My apartment complex used to frown upon external antennas, satellite dishes, etc., despite the fact that those were permitted under federal and local regs with appropriate permits where required. But the maintenance crew didn't speak English, my Spanish is toddler level, and they just tore down anything that was in their way or visible outside the building, including gardening planters set out by residents, and yard decorations. The crews just literally mowed and plowed right over that stuff, and took over the greenhouse to use as their maintenance garage. So all my external antennas were as cheap as possible.
I even switched to TV coaxial cable. The older stuff installed by the cable TV contractor many years ago was good stuff and adequate for radio receiver feedlines. Proper shielding, good quality connectors. Over the years as longtime tenants died, moved to nursing homes, etc., when the make-ready crew overhauled the apartments they tore out and discarded perfectly good coax because the complex no longer supported the rooftop antennas and old school satellite dishes.
Not ideal HF antenna materials, but good enough for this semi-urban area that's plagued with heavy RFI no matter what antenna we use. And cheap/free, so I didn't get upset when the maintenance guys found my stealth antennas and tore 'em down.
I almost miss those days. Since the pandemic the building has taken a serious economic hit, moved in a bunch of troublesome tenants from shelters, etc., lost many longtime tenants, fired, rehired, lost, rehired and lost again several maintenance guys, none of whom seem to stay longer than a month, sometimes only a week. At this point I could rig up a proper outdoor antenna and nobody would notice or care until the next HUD or state inspection several months from now. Assuming the place isn't foreclosed on by then.
And, yeah, I'm looking for another place to stay after 15 years here. Rent has always been a bargain but there are limits to everything. My limit is the neighborhood shootouts every weekend, especially the bullet through the next door apartment's living room window several months ago. It's gotten so bad the corner convenience store put up a locked gate across the entrance, installed a bulletproof walk-up window, and now the locals who dare to patronize that store can only buy their malt liquor, cigarillos and scratch-offs through the sliding metal drawer.
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