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

[Bob]

...and the open end for straightening aluminum tubing.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wes Attaway (N5WA)" <wesattaway at bellsouth.net>
To: "'Jerry Muller'" <k0tv at comcast.net>; "'K1TTT'" <K1TTT at ARRL.NET>; 
"'reflector -tower'" <towertalk at contesting.com>; "'reflector cq-contest'" 
<CQ-Contest at Contesting.COM>; "'YCCC'" <yccc at yccc.org>; "'Rlx'" 
<RLX at yahoogroups.com>; "'Nobarc'" <nobarc at nobarc.org>
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 6:50 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] [YCCC] mystery tool and damaged 40m antennas


>I think Jerry is exactly correct.  You can actually use that turned end for
> a crude screwdriver in tight spots.
>
>
> ------------------ Wes Attaway (N5WA) ------------------
> 1138 Waters Edge Circle - Shreveport, LA 71106
>    318-797-4972 (office) - 318-393-3289 (cell)
>        Computer Consulting and Forensics
> -------------- EnCase Certified Examiner ---------------
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jerry Muller
> Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 8:49 AM
> To: K1TTT; reflector -tower; reflector cq-contest; YCCC; Rlx; Nobarc
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] [YCCC] mystery tool and damaged 40m antennas
>
> You're kidding of course.
>
> The tool is a paint can opener and bottle opener combination. I used to 
> work
>
> (a VERY long time ago) at a Sherwin-Williams store and we gave them away.
>
> 73, Jerry - K0TV
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "K1TTT" <K1TTT at ARRL.NET>
> To: "reflector -tower" <towertalk at contesting.com>; "reflector cq-contest"
> <CQ-Contest at Contesting.COM>; "YCCC" <yccc at yccc.org>; "Rlx"
> <RLX at yahoogroups.com>; "Nobarc" <nobarc at nobarc.org>
> Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 9:37 AM
> Subject: [YCCC] 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> YCCC Reflector mailto:yccc at contesting.com
>> Yankee Clipper Contest Club  http://www.yccc.org
>> Reflector Info: http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/yccc
>>
>
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