[Lowfer] LEK-RIP?

[Lyle Koehler]

A moderate ice storm with severe winds took down all of my wire antennas
last night, including the LowFER transmitting antenna. The LEK flat top had
been in continuous service for a little over ten and a half years. I guess
the loop folks are right after all -- those verticals just aren't reliable!
By the way, LEK was transmitting during last night's thunderstorms, as it
has for the past several summers.

So far the actual damage looks fairly minimal. The top hat spreaders are
intact; it was just the top wires that failed. The support mast is still
standing, although the guy ropes are severely stretched and the mast is
leaning over at a crazy angle. Unfortunately the wind hasn't let up and the
freezing rain is still falling. If the support mast survives, it's just a
matter of lowering the halyard and replacing the wires. Probably time to
replace them anyway; even the super-flexible multiple-strand copper wire
gets tired after a while.

Other casualties of the storm are a flag pole that is now flat on the
ground, and an ornamental windmill which threw half of its blades before
freezing to a stop.

I've been planning to modify my LF transmitting antenna for the 137 kHz
band, and this seems like an appropriate time to do it. That will probably
mean the end of LowFER operation at this location.

Lyle, K0LR