[TowerTalk] Suggested Tower and C4 Repairs

[Jim Reid]

Aloha from Kauai,

Many thanks to the several who have offered condolences,
encouragement and specific advice.  Even received photos
form Denmark,  from Steig, OZ1HJX,  who sent photos of 
his happening back in November;  his MA-770 cable also
broke!

Best offer of all was from two close friends in California:  they
will come over to Kauai,  bringing new cable and boom parts,
will do all the work,  all I am to do is stand around and watch.
Oh,  also, I am to have two First Class air fare tickets for
them to pick up at SFO,  to facilitate their departure and
arrival here.  Great  gesture of friendship and radio
amateur commradere,  but I can't afford it!

Tom  at Force 12 came right back with suggested fixes to
the C4 after I faxed to him a note and drawing of where
and how the boom broke.  The 3" long swaged end of
one of the several boom sections severed exactly where it
met the boom section into which it was placed.  Guess
that was the weakest place.  Also was exactly,  almost,
where the boom section from which the swaged piece
broke,  at the U-bolt point.  The U-bolt is still holding the
reaming boom section,  plus all the rest of the front of
the antenna  up on the collapsed tower.

Have decided will probably go ahead and replace the
cable.  Steig advises he did it all by himself,  in the
cold winter weather in Denmark!  His advantage over
me is a lot of area around his antenna in which to work.
My big problem is very confined work space.  Will
have to obtain the permission of my neighbor,  as
to remove the upper sections from the lower tower
tube,  will have to pull them out and over into his
yard.  Also,  cannot get my tower flat to the ground.
A fence has been put between our yards since it 
went up in 1992!  So will have to rest elevated just
above the fence top.  That will make a bit more 
work of the project!

Will advise,  if interested,  in how and when all this
gets repaired.  Good thing I have several verticals
for the bands as back up antennas, plus have now
resurrected the  N-S V-beam,  with the 600 foot legs.
Still not convoked it actually provides any gain because
of the ravine the wires cross over.  However,  it does
send and rcv,  from 160 on up.  However,  the top band
season is about over,  it seems;  also I don't stay up
late,  nor get up too early,  hi.  I decided the horses back
there would not mind the wires passing high over head.

73,  Jim,  KH7M


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