Rick,
I certainly feel the pain of your loss. In my 59 years I've never seen
such a violent weather year. There have been more tornados in one month
here in VA than I can remember in my lifetime, all put together.
Along with the high winds, and hail, the killer here had been lightning.
My towers, antennas and property have been hit so many times I've lost
count. Each time I think the problem is whipped, along comes a strike and
finds yet another way to destroy something! It sounds like a war is going
on outside. The only answer I can figure is to take my towers down and
hunker in. Living on a hill in the clear had a definate advantage for
contesting, and DXing, but lightning LOVES it! Radio is fun, but with
all the storms it has become a stress filled nail biting session each time
a severe storm warning is posted. (which by the way is daily)
We contesters are a hearty bunch, if somehow we manage to get the big
towers, and stacked antennas up. If somehow we manage to survive the
lightning, ice, high winds, and the other stuff that Mother nature throws
at us. If our carefully planned and expensive stations manage to work
correctly, and we've dodged the lightning hits, power surges and murphys
other attacks, AND after working our tails's off the whole contest weekend
AND if the contest people manage to somehow NOT loose our logs, we might
get a piece of paper or wood saying we WON.... WOW ..... AIN'T IT
WONDERFUL !
73, Mick W4YV
----------
> From: Rick Dougherty NQ4I <NQ4I@compuserve.com>
> To: CQ-Contest <CQ-Contest@contesting.com>
> Cc: SECC <secc@contesting.com>; TowerTalk <TowerTalk@contesting.com>
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Georgia Storms
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Date: Tuesday, June 16, 1998 11:09 PM
>
>
> Hi all...I am on the road in Newark, NJ and on the way to Rome,
Italy...was
> home last nite and awakened by a tremendous storm system that was moving
> across the county...it happened at 1:30 am...for almost 1 solid hour the
> wind blew and howled like none i have ever heard in my qth in over 40
> yrs...at about 3 am I went outside to assess the damage...using a
> flashlite, I looked up on the big tower where the 80m 2 el KLM was
> installed...the reflector element was bent back against the boom...looks
> like it is totaled...then when I looked at the 130 footer with the 3 el
> Telrex 40...it was bent in a u shape...it is total scrap...and the KLM 6
el
> 20 on the same tower at 100 ft was like wet spagetti...it too was
> totaled...
>
> Needles to say I am very frustrated...no amount of insurance coverage can
> begin to make up for the labor of love that was involved in putting that
> equipment up and using it in the contests...I am very thankful that my
home
> and family are intact...but how do I get the energy to take all that junk
> down ...rebuild it and put it back up...if its not obvious...I am off 20m
,
> 40m and also 80m....I have excellent coverage with my State Farm
> Policy...but it is small consolation when it comes to the effort that
will
> be required to put it all back up....
>
> Maybe it sounds like I am a crybaby..and just need to get back on with
> life...but a feel of dread and dispair is enveloping me at this
time...hope
> most of you don't have to go through this to this extent...
>
> look for me on the radio as I head for europe...3.795 starting at
> 2200z...de Rick
>
>
> --
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