[Hallicrafters] Station Antennas Destroyed

[Tracy]

Sorry to here about that, sounds like a good stiff fence charger may be in
order. Tends to make them think twice.

'73 Tracy

At 06:02 PM 3/1/2003 -0500, Duane Fischer, W8DBF wrote:
>
>	
>Talk about an ironic twist of fate! I had offered to resign as NCS for the
>Saturday HCI 40 meter Net after four years of doing it, if any of you
wanted to
>assume the duties. Today was possibly my last scheduled on air job as NCS. 	
>	
>When I fired up the equipment, I noticed that the forty meter antenna seemed
>awfully quiet. The eighty meter antenna did also. I switched to the GAP Titan
>and there was life on both bands. My grandson happened to be here, so I
sent him
>out to the forty foot tower side mounted to a shed in the woods 125 feet
south
>of my home. He came back and reported that both antennas were gone.   	
>	
>More investigation revealed that they were not actually gone, but were
lying in
>the woods on the ground. The mounting brackets that attached the IAC Double
>Bazooka antennas to the tower had been torn completely off the tower. I
had used
>the forty meter antenna Wednesday night to talk with several that I could not
>talk with during the HCI Global Glow on 20 meters. This damage happened
either
>Thursday or Friday.  There have been no high winds, freezing rain variety of
>storms or other weather issues that would have caused this. I believe this
was
>done intentionally by someone, who knows why.	
>	
>I seriously doubt it was due to angry neighbors experiencing TVI, as I have
>received only one complaint in almost five years. It turned out to be ComCast
>Cable and their new fiber optic cabling system with serious malfunctions. The
>neighbor apologized to me for blaming me. The usual assumptions: see lots of
>antennas - must be the Ham radio dudes fault.  	
>	
>I will not be on the air on forty meters for several weeks. It is forecast
to be
>from 9-14 below zero Sunday night, so finding anyone who wants to climb a
tower
>on Monday is very unlikely. Although I do have the GAP Titan, it is a poor
>excuse of an antenna, as far as I am concerned. It was hit by lightning in
April
>2001 and I have only used it since for SW listening. However, I did
transmit on
>it today in an emergency situation.          	
>	
>I am quite concerned about the vandels going after the two verticals 65 feet
>south of the house next. I live in a very safe and good neighborhood, or so I
>thought!   	
>	
>This may be an extensive and expensive repair project. Winter is certainly
not
>the time to effect these repairs, but I have no choice. I will let you
know when
>the antennas are once again operational. 	
>	
>Duane W8DBF 	
>  
>_______________________________________________
>List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF **for assistance**
>dfischer at usol.com
>----
>Hallicrafters Collectors International: http://www.w9wze.org
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>
>