[TowerTalk] Bird loading and elements

[Pete Smith]

With my turkey buzzards, I don't need no stinkin' owls!

73, Pete

At 10:52 AM 5/4/2005, AA6DX - Mark wrote:

>OH OH .. here come the Rettysnitch owl again!  Use the Wolf Hong to insure
>that the is bird is properly aligned with Polaris!  =|;?}  (Bet you wondered
>all these years what those vile instruments were used for in the REAL
>world!)
>Mark  AA6DX
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Pete Smith" <n4zr at contesting.com>
>To: "SJ W3TX" <superberthaguy at adelphia.net>; "David Robbins K1TTT"
><k1ttt at arrl.net>; "'TowerTalk'" <towertalk at contesting.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 2:43 AM
>Subject: [TowerTalk] Bird loading and elements
>
>
> > Interesting story about birds breaking a reflector tip.  During the spring
> > and fall, I often have so many small migrating birds on my Force 12
> > EF-240S
> > that they are literally shoulder to shoulder.  The elements bend
> > dramatically, but always spring back.  Occasionally some hawks or turkey
> > buzzards will perch on the antenna, but they wisely do not attempt it out
> > at the tips, preferring the boom instead.
> >
> > I'm a little surprised that birds that would try to perch on an element
> > tip
> > would be so heavy as to break it.
> >
> > 73, Pete N4ZR
> >
> > At 10:42 PM 5/3/2005, SJ W3TX wrote:
> >
> >>I have seven M2 monobanders up.
> >>
> >>Everything has held up well since 1999!  Their designs and QC and customer
> >>service have been excellent.
> >>
> >>I've had two mechanical failures...both were acts of nature that NO design
> >>could survive.
> >>
> >>The first was when a chunck of ice fell off the 40m3 at 120ft and hit a
> >>director on the 10m7 at 35 feet.  I'm glad it hit the element and not a
> >>person or pet!
> >>
> >>The second was when a flock of birds roosted on the 40m3 reflector
> >>creating
> >>a force that exceeded the elasticity modulus of the aluminum tip section.
> >>The birds were a little surprised, but none got hurt (if they had I could
> >>fix the birds...I'm a vet).
> >>
> >>The birds were back the next day (and every day since) testing the
> >>antennas
> >>again...so far the antennas are fine!  With 41 elements on one pole, all
> >>the
> >>roosting activity, and the inevitable bird droppings I'm starting to
> >>wonder
> >>if I can pay for this hobby by starting a guano factory?  Maybe I need
> >>more
> >>elements!!
> >>
> >>I like the M2 yagi so much I ordered more for future use.
> >>
> >>73, Scott W3TX
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
>Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with 
>any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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