[CQ-Contest] mystery tool and damaged 40m antennas

[Tod -ID]

The mystery tool is one that was designed to open cans, such as paint cans,
with the non-looped end. The other end would open bottles that had "bottle
caps" used to seal them. [An archaic form of storing soda --- Coke, 7-Up,
root beer, etc.]

In the 1930's [and perhaps later] one could buy empty narrow top bottles and
partially crimped metal caps with a cork liner. There were hand machines
that would finish the crimping of the cap onto the top of the bottle. Such a
device was used extensively when folks made root beer or ginger beer or
'brewed' alcoholic beer at home and wanted to store some of it for future
consumption. 

The hooked end could lift the lids from metal containers that held peanut
butter, cocoa, etc. 

For those who have an interest in specialized tools from time gone by I
could post a picture of a "button hook" used by my grandmother prior to 1910
to 'button up' her shoes before going off to church. Those new-fangled
things called 'shoe laces' did not look nearly as nice for dress shoes.

Tod Olson, K0TO



> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of K1TTT
> Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 7:38 AM
> To: reflector -tower; reflector cq-contest; YCCC; Rlx; Nobarc
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] mystery tool and damaged 40m antennas
> 
> Take a look at the picture of the tool next to a pencil for 
> size comparison:
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_40m4lldd_repair_1.jpg
> 
> This tool was uniquely suited for one particular job while 
> disassembling an ice and wind damaged 40m4lldd yagi.  Out of 
> all the tools in all my various tool boxes this one stood out 
> for this one specific task.
> 
> Can you identify:
> 1. What it's original purpose(s) were? 
> 2. What it would be used for in a 40m yagi disassembly?
> 
> 
> Pictures of the 40m damage in progress are below... We had 3 
> ice storms in 2 weeks, 2 of them were followed immediately by 
> strong winds.  Besides damage to both 40m4lldd's there were 
> several bent elements on 20m4dx yagis that had survived 
> several years with 'normal' ice and wind.  Something 
> interesting to note is that the loading rods on the 
> 40m4lldd's did not provide any mechanical strength to the 
> elements even though they look like they would act as 
> trusses.  The elements all bent on the same side of the 
> antennas because the wind hit them from the side while the 
> element was already bent down under the ice load.  The same 
> mechanism damaged all 4 elements of the top fixed European 
> 20m yagi that was sideways to the wind, while the rotatable 
> one above it only had 1 slightly bent element since it was 
> pointing into the NW wind at the time.  The loading rods 
> broke all on the same side because the wind shifted while the 
> elements were bent so one side of the loading section was 
> stretched against the side of the element.
> 
> Tower is 180' of Rohn-55 with the 40m4lldd's on ring rotors 
> at 70' and 170'.
> 
> 2/2 Top 40m with ice and wind
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_feb_02_40m_ice_1.jpg
> 
> 2/2 Top 40m with ice, note how on the left side all 4 
> elements are bent at the sme place and the loading rods are 
> below the element tubing.
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_feb_02_40m_ice_2.jpg
> 
> 2/2 Top 40m with ice element closeup
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_feb_02_40m_ice_3.jpg
> 
> 2/2 Bottom 40m with ice
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_feb_02_40m_ice_5.jpg
> 
> 2/7 Top 40m with ice and wind, round 2 of the storms you can 
> see the 1st loading rod broke on the right element.  
> Eventually all 4 elements ended up with 1 broken rod, all on 
> the same side.
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_feb_07_40m_ice_11.jpg
> 
> 2/7 Top 40m with ice and wind, slightly crooked elements.
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_feb_07_40m_ice_13.jpg
> 
> 2/7 Top 40m broken loading rod closeup
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_feb_07_40m_ice_8.jpg
> 
> Removal of the damaged antennas was done by XX-Towers on 3/7:
> Rigging bottom 40m, tram line is cable coming down to left.
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_mar_07_kc1xx_2.jpg
> 
> Bottom one coming down
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_mar_07_kc1xx_4.jpg
> 
> Bottom one wide view
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_mar_07_kc1xx_5.jpg
> 
> Closeup of broke loading rod end, its really not pulled out, 
> the shorting bar held and the rod broke.  The ss saddle and 
> eye arrangement on the philly cable is my modification to 
> prevent the philly from being cut on the side of the small 
> holes it used to go through on the shorting block.  M2 has 
> modified the design with a strain relief to prevent that on new ones.
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_mar_07_kc1xx_6.jpg
> 
> Rigging the top 40m, tram line is hard to see but comes down 
> between guy wires toward bottom.
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_mar_07_kc1xx_7.jpg
> 
> Rigging top, wide view.
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_mar_07_kc1xx_8.jpg
> 
> Liftoff of top one.
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_mar_07_kc1xx_10.jpg
> 
> Top one starting down
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_mar_07_kc1xx_12.jpg
> 
> Interesting rigging, use ring rotor supports and boom brace 
> to spread load to 4 points on boom.
> http://www.k1ttt.net/images/2008_mar_07_kc1xx_13.jpg
> 
> Insurance has already paid off and I am awaiting delivery of 
> a new 125mph 40m4lldd for the top.  For the bottom one I 
> salvaged parts from the top one to make it whole and have 
> purchased aluminum to beef it up similar to how the 125mph 
> elements are done.  I also am waiting delivery of a 20m4dx to 
> be used for parts to replace bent element sections on those antennas.
> 
> Of course I am writing this today because we are now getting 
> snow/freezing rain/rain/whatever out there and I figured I 
> can wait a while to continue repairs.
> 
> David Robbins K1TTT
> e-mail: mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net
> web: http://www.k1ttt.net
> AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz or telnet://dxc.k1ttt.net
>  
> 
> 
> 
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