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Re: [TowerTalk] US Tower damaged by lightning

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] US Tower damaged by lightning
From: "Jim McDonald" <jim@n7us.net>
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:47:09 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I am actually doing the due diligence on repair estimates that I would do if
I were paying for it myself and have told the insurance adjustors that.  I
don't want to be foolish and shoot myself in the foot, as we say, but I
don't see this as an opportunity to improve my situation because I had the
misfortune to be stuck and have insurance.

I'm an accountant, not a lightning expert, so I'm reviewing quotes as if I
were being paid to do it.  I'm doing fine with the insurance adjustors and
have no complaints so far except for the time it takes for them to review
claims, but I'm just beginning the process.  I've been a policy holder since
1972, and they have been very reassuring, so far anyway.

The SteppIR measurements are on the control cables, not the coax.  I'll
inspect the remote switch this weekend.  The arrestors on my grounding panel
look and test OK to me with one exception on the rotor arrestor, in which
two disk capacitors blew.  I'll further test the SteppIR motors when the
antenna is on the ground.

The Yaesu G-2800SDX box was damaged badly.  I checked the resistance of the
rotor from the shack but will check it again when it's on the ground when I
can look at it too.

The remote switch, an old DX Engineering one from the previous company,
isn't switching.  It could be the control cable or the coax, I understand.
My bet is that it's not pretty inside.  The Top Ten Devices band decoder,
which controlled the switch, had all band LEDs lit afterwards, even after I
disconnected it from the switch.  N3RD of Top Ten Devices suggested I
replace one of the ICs, which I got from Mouser for about $.30, and it's
good to go.

As I said originally, my questions were really about the tower and the
necessity of replacing the cables and pulleys.  I liked Steve's reply very
much, as it reflected what I was thinking.  I'm not going to try to replace
the tower cables myself.  I certainly will want it done if I see burned
spots.

Thanks for all the help.  TowerTalk has always been a great source of
experience and wisdom.

Jim N7US




-----Original Message-----

Jim you also said: "" but measurements from the ground indicate the remote 
switch, rotor, and SteppIR are damaged "" Measuring anything from the ground

is totally meaningless. I found lightening had made a path through the 
RG213. I've since used it as a couple of radials for the 40M vert.

Finally Steve said: "" You  could be candid with your insurance folks  "". 
Insurance companies are not in business to pay claims, especially extended 
claims. I'm almost 70 years old and I got a real awakening dealing with the 
insurance company. It was the first time ever I had a homeowners policy 
claim. Hopefully/maybe this summer I will get the last of the checks, after 
more than 2 years. I had more/less the same kind of damage Jim had. The 
insurance company just tried to compound the problems by trying to shift 
blame etc.



MAL
N7MAL

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