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

[Dale Putnam]

At first glance, it appears to be a can/bottle opener.... and would work very well for that.
It also may be a Hoof Pick. Depending upon the angle of attack, or amount of bend, it would
be useful when cleaning hoofs, or preparing for shoeing. 
 Just my 2 cents worth.. and that ain't much nowadays.....*g*--... ...--Dale - WC7S in Wy> Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 13:37:33 +0000> From: K1TTT at ARRL.NET> To: towertalk at contesting.com; CQ-Contest at Contesting.COM; yccc at yccc.org; RLX at yahoogroups.com; nobarc at nobarc.org> 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> > > > > _______________________________________________> CQ-Contest mailing list> CQ-Contest at contesting.com> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
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