Long ago, about 1964, I learned about the joys of what today is called a J-pole antenna. I think I'd read it in a QST article. At the time I didn't have a ham license or rig, just a transistor CB walkie talkie. I used the thing to help with our high school radio club's (W0CTV) stadium patrol activities. Just 100milliwatts. AM, 6 transistors. Good range, small pocket size.
At football games we'd pair up with an off duty policeman and we'd scour the school grounds looking for trouble. Usually fights but sometimes vandalism. I'd use my WT to call for help, since the police didn't have such things back then. (Had some exciting times interrupting couples canoodling in the shadows.)
When not at the friday night games, I'd try to chat with friends from the club. And inevitably other CBers in the area. Most of them were just fine folks, but occasionally some were a pain in the backside.
My range was small, maybe a half mile. Then I read the QST article, and made my first J-pole from a half wave length of stranded wire hook up wire and a quarter-wave section of 300 ohm TV twin-lead. Strung it from an elm tree and let it dangle. Just going from tape rule measurements so it wasn't 'tuned'. I ran some RG58 from it to my (eventual) ham shack and direct connected it to the WT. Adjusted the output tuning coil on it by listening to RX and setting for max noise.
I gave it a try. WOW. What a difference. Range went to 18 miles. And that is how I came to love the lowly J-pole. For less than a buck, mostly scraps, I was on the air big time.
