[TowerTalk] When a Yagi Loses an Element

[TexasRF@aol.com]

Another approach to this problem is to rebalance the boom with dead weight to 
compensate for the missing element.

If the element weighs 25 pounds and is 16ft from the boom center, then the 
correction is 16 X 25 = 400 ft pounds. Assuming you can reach four feet out on 
the boom, then 400 divided by 4ft = 100 pounds will rebalance things 
mechanically. Yes, this will add 100 - 25 = 75 pounds to the total weight but you can't 
deal with an antenna this size by muscle power alone anyway.

Appropriate u-bolts and hunks of iron will do the balancing job and other 
lifting hardware will take care of the weight/lowering job.

I have used two sections of 20G tower with angle brackets to attach them to a 
tower face to make up a very sturdy climbable gin pole for jobs like this. 
This will allow a lifting point about 15ft above the antenna boom, allowing much 
easier/safer manipulation of the antenna position for removal.

In any event, please be careful as this will be a handfull!

73,
Gerald K5GW