[TowerTalk] All That Work Appears to be Paying Off

[Roger (K8RI)]

Although some may consider this to be a bit OT, it directly relates to 
towers, antennas, and my returning ability to climb and work on them and 
a few may be interested.  I'm still working out to improve my balance 
and stamina and am now working with a personal trainer at the Midland 
Community Center, who shows no mercy<:-)) But that's really the idea. It 
takes a lot of work to get back where I was a year and a half back.  Try 
balancing on a Bosu ball turned upside down while lifting weights from 
arms straight down and up into a military press while doing knee 
bends/squats.  That's three sets of 20 BTW.

Yesterday was a very long day which started out with a fly-in/Pancake 
Breakfast at the midland airport (3BS). With the crappy weather we 
didn't have a lot of planes fly in but it was still a good turn out with 
the opportunity to shoot lots of photos.  Then it was home for a quick 
nap, and out to the local field day site for lots more photos with much 
improved weather *except* for some strong storms that came through 
between 6:00 and 7:00 PM.

After getting home early in the evening I kept looking up at all those 
coax cables plus a couple of tangled slopers and decided it was time to 
give it a try.  The climb went surprisingly easy even though I have to 
work my way around a satellite dish, remote antenna switch, a UHF TV 
antenna, the ends of several wire antennas,  and a side mounted 144/440 
vertical.  I removed the old remote antenna switch which has lost all 
the silver plating off the connectors and is soon going to get a new 
set.  Unfortunately those silver plated brass connectors had become one 
with each other up there even though they were protected well enough to 
still be shiny.   I think I'm going to start lubing the threads with 
just a tiny bit of silicone grease.  (when I clean the "green" crud off 
they are nothing but shiny brass.)

At any rate it was a 100 foot climb with over an hour and a half working 
up there.  It's difficult to describe what I could almost call elation 
at being able to do something so simple, that I used to do so often, but 
considering it was about a year ago I was just learning to tie my shoes 
it's a very good feeling. 

So, no I didn't get the antennas down or even put the tram lines up, but 
I did get a lot of the little stuff out of the way and gained the 
knowledge I can go up there with enough stamina to get something useful 
done.   That and my legs weren't even fatigued when I to down or sore 
tonight although an hour stint with that personal trainer may have me 
postpone tomorrows work for a day or two.

Next on the agenda is to pick up another 10' section of 1 1/2 EMT to use 
as an evener down near ground level to keep the tension on both tram 
lines the same. Although I'd like to get both the tribander and 7L, 
6-meter  C3i down I'll be quite happy If I can just to get the tribander 
down. Then there will be new mounting plates with coax feedthroughs (top 
and bottom), new pig tails (LMR-600UF) and new feed lines from the 
bottom to top of the tower.  Then two remote antenna switches, and a 
6-pack at the base of the tower. Unfortunately I also have to pull the 
junction box, sand blast it and then repaint it before putting 
everything back together.

73

 
Roger (K8RI - ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R (World's oldest Debonair)