Having a contest station in Paradise is not all drinks in the pavillion and
high QSO rates
(although there are plenty of those, too)!
Maintenance of the station is a major issue for any facility installed near the
ocean, and
the amount of maintenance required and the relentless environmental attack on
all things
metal has shut down more than one Caribbean contest station for good. It's
tough working
on a station 2100 miles from you most of the year!
The Signal Point PJ2T station sits 37-feet above the Caribbean on a cliff, and
is bathed
in salt air at all times.
Here is a microcosm of the problem: photos of one Bencher paddle, which was
cleaned up
just last November, and which has already begun the process of turning to rust.
http://www.k8nd.com/PJ2T_Bencher_Corrosion.htm
73, Jeff K8ND
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