[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Announcement

[Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy]

Hi Kevin,

Sorry to hear about your trials and tribulations, are you using pulleys and 
a counterweight as part of your antenna's support "system"?

A "fused" counterweight that is allowed to disconnect from the hoist line 
also works well as a protective device should a tall tree fall across an 
antenna. I use #14 Flexweave for wire antennas, tough as old boots.

73,
Geoff
GM4ESD


Kevin Rock wrote on Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 4:57 AM

> Good Evening,
>   I think winter has passed for the moment.  The last two days have been 
> almost like spring!  But, remember, spring in Oregon can last from 
> February until August :)  According to the forecast temperatures will get 
> into the 50s with sunny days over the next week.  Quite a change from only 
> a few days ago.  Early in the week it was 33 degrees and pouring.  That 
> melted much of the snow and gave me a chance to fix my antennas.  Both of 
> them were broken when I started the repair work because there had been a 
> windstorm which broke the second one.  The higher of the two had been 
> broken by a snow loaded branch falling through it which broke the feedline 
> at the center insulator almost a month ago.  The same branch continued 
> downward through the second antenna but did not break it; it only broke 
> the center guy line and lowered the antenna by thirty feet.  That was the 
> antenna I used for last week's nets.  However, it too was broken in the 
> windstorm.
>   With winds of thirty miles an hour and a steady downpour I got the 
> extension cord plugged into the GFI outlet and put on some rubber gloves. 
> I grabbed a utility knife, solder, my trusty Weller gun, a set of linemans 
> pliers, and a wire stripper.  I took along some wirenuts but did not know 
> whether they would work; they did not.  So I was up on the roof rapidly 
> getting soaked clear through.  Since I was going to be soaked one way or 
> the other I stayed until the job was done.  The solder flowed medium well 
> in the cold and wet and the joints were shiny.  I know I could do a better 
> job but under the circumstances I did alright.  Plus antennas work better 
> when repaired under inclement conditions.  That being said I should be 
> able to work EME at 5 watts with my wire antenna!
>   The other antenna was not as difficult to repair but in relieving it of 
> the branch I found the center guy rope had parted.  When it came free the 
> weight of the line pulled the broken end through the tree and back down 
> again.  I'll wait for dry, windfree weather to shoot that line back in 
> place.  As it is the antenna got spliced with wire nuts but it is still a 
> low doublet instead of a high inverted V.  I was too soaked to fight with 
> that one anymore.  However, the upper inverted V was always the one with 
> the best signal and the least noise.  Hopefully it will work well on 
> tomorrow's net.  Yes net, not nets.  I have decided to cease running the 
> 40 meter net until later into the season.  When propagation comes back 
> with the lengthening days I will reinstate that net and hold it at an 
> appropriate time.  Until then we can just take a little break from the 
> frustration.