[VHFcontesting] Storm damage

[David Olean]

Hi Paul

I just got my internet back on Wednesday afternoon. I am sorry about 
your storm damage. You must have been motivated to go up ther in the 
storm!!   We had 50 MPH winds all day Thursday and lots of heavy wet 
snow. I measured 22.75" here.  My antennas took a beating in the last 
storm with 1" of ice, but this time, all looks unchanged. I was hoping 
to do some work today now that the snow is almost gone, but it is 
raining. Maybe on Friday?

Good luck.

Dave  K1WHS


On 4/5/2024 10:57 AM, Paul N1BUG FN55mf wrote:

> Murphy finally decided to venture a little further north than FN43mj.
> During the storm last night, the front half of my 2 meter yagi broke off
> and was dangling by the boom truss, trying to beat up the 222, 432, and
> 6 meter yagis. Despite gusty winds and drizzle, I climbed 105 feet to
> see what I could do. Standing on the top plate of the tower I was barely
> able to reach the boom truss attachment point on the dangling antenna
> half to remove it and throw it from the tower. With the wind and drizzle
> it was too cold to take the time to lower it nicely with a rope, even if
> that were possible in the wind. My gloves were soaked through and I
> couldn't feel my fingers by the time I got to the top. At least the
> other antennas are out of immediate jeopardy now.
>
> Repairing a single yagi seems like a fairly trivial job but getting to
> it isn't. I will have to raise the mast, remove the rotator and
> incrementally lower the mast to remove the 6 meter, 432, and 222 yagis.
> Each requires several trips up and down the tower to manage a rather
> unconventional tram system and backstay to avoid bending the mast. Given
> my health, schedule and the neighborhood this will take at least half
> the warm-ish months.
>
> I don't want to put things back the way they were. I like the wide
> spacing on the mast, but it is too much work when something goes wrong.
> But, even if I go with minimum spacing required by boom trusses I will
> not be able to reach the top antenna without removing at least one lower
> antenna and lowering the mast. I guess at this point I don't have a
> plan, but I know I need one! A high strength (climbable) mast would help
> but that is not in the cards this year. It might need to become a future
> priority.
>
> I still haven't recovered all station function following the demise of
> the old shack PC in early January. I have a long term recovery plan that
> in many respects will be better than the previous system and have done
> some of the building toward that, but still an issue or two to resolve.
>
> 73,
> Paul N1BUG FN55mf
>
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