# Strange Antenna Challenge Memories **URL:** \ **Category:** Antennas\ **Tags:** strange\_antenna\ **Created:** [March 12, 2022, 12:34am UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/strange-antenna-challenge-memories/933 "2022-03-12T00:34:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JimWRL](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/jimwrl/32/1558_2.png) [@JimWRL](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/JimWRL)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2022, 12:34am UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/strange-antenna-challenge-memories/933/1 "2022-03-12T00:34:15Z")
It’s been a few years since I have heard this event have a lot of emphasis behind it, but around 2009 I was enjoying participating in it. I found a picture of one of my antennas and I thought I would share. Strange Antenna weekend used to be over Memorial Day. That’s a string of Diet Coke cans. I used the cans as a vertical and curtain rods as a ground plane. The tricky thing was holding them together and transporting them. I had to sand top and bottom of every can to make sure I had connectivity. I drilled 2 holes and ran a string through them Then I tied them off like a amusement park snake toy. I seem to recall getting into South America from Atlanta. Not an unusual contact but it was a fun project. ![Coke](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/americanradioclub/original/1X/bb7d015017befc59bfb0508ff35d02f6ddf6de6d.jpeg) ![IMG_1704](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/americanradioclub/original/1X/21951e98cd6168c9001128758397848f9335dcb3.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![carito](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/carito/32/928_2.png) [@carito](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/carito)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 6:03am UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/strange-antenna-challenge-memories/933/2 "2022-05-22T06:03:20Z")
That looks like a lot of fun this project. its always fun being creative and finding ways to communicate with strangers, right? ---
**Author:** ![JimWRL](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/jimwrl/32/1558_2.png) [@JimWRL](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/JimWRL)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2022, 11:34am UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/strange-antenna-challenge-memories/933/3 "2022-05-23T11:34:58Z")
Absolutely! One other one I really liked was a dipole made from metal crutches, I think that was good on 6 meters. ---
**Author:** ![N2DUP](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/n2dup/32/1627_2.png) [@N2DUP](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/N2DUP)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 7:30am UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/strange-antenna-challenge-memories/933/4 "2022-05-30T07:30:01Z")
I had a trucker friend who pulled up to a truck stop one night and loaded the metal light pole illuminating the area above his rig. Needless to say, he worked some HF from inside the cab that night. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JimWRL](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/jimwrl/32/1558_2.png) [@JimWRL](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/JimWRL)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 2:04pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/strange-antenna-challenge-memories/933/5 "2022-05-30T14:04:14Z")
I seem to recall someone connecting to the metal on a stadium and making contacts. I am sure that would work but it seems like a bit of an urban legend. I still have the cans in a tote in my shed. Maybe one day that antenna will rise again. ---
**Author:** ![N2DUP](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/n2dup/32/1627_2.png) [@N2DUP](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/N2DUP)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/strange-antenna-challenge-memories/933/6 "2022-05-30T15:07:26Z")
@JimWRL, I’d say that you could call your antenna a Cantenna, but that obviously was a product sold in the past by the venerable Heathkit and today actually refers to a type of antenna designed for use in wifi networks. Maybe you could put your SODA antenna on the air for SOTA! 😀 ![heath-cantenna-model-hn-31-rf-dummy_1_862e733e69e483458caef43923196048](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/americanradioclub/original/2X/6/663229f2409ca27b6eb11f7588f6c13b07a4b1db.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![UZBEKISTAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f07891/32.png) [@UZBEKISTAN](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/UZBEKISTAN)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/strange-antenna-challenge-memories/933/7 "2026-08-29T13:03:43Z")
Continuing the discussion from [Strange Antenna Challenge Memories](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/strange-antenna-challenge-memories/933): Vav