[VHFcontesting] One Lucky Puppy

[nosigma at aol.com]

John, KM4KMU here.
With the deeply appreciated assistance of Terry W8ZN we added 902 to 10GHz to the Jeep.Been TDY for a month doing cool guy stuff from HF to 26GHz but missing the September contest. Anxiously awaiting the chance to complete setting it all up.
Today I got back to rigging everything.  First order of business was to run Philly Strand as a replacement for 550 chord to hoist the now much longer and heavier fold over mast.  First test hoist went very well, at least going up.  Upon lowering one of the 3/8ths stainless eye bolts on the gin pole was not only pretzeled but started to open up the eye that secured both the winch line to gin pole and the gin pole to mast hoisting line.  Super lucky the eye didn't open up all the way and slip the winch cable hook or the clevis for the gin pole to mast line.  
Tomorrow picking up several 1/2 inch forged closed eye "eye bolts" and will do more testing....after a bit of number crunching.  When the mast was 12 feet shorter with 60lbs less weight the margins of safety were at least 2:1 for hoisting and higher for 100 mph wind loads. Time to do some of that engineer stuff and see where the next weak link is.
73Hope to see you on the air in JanuaryJohnKM4KMU