[Lowfer] New Tower Work

[Peter Barick]

LowFERsl,

Seems the weather is crazy, but more so this year. Here in N IL, July
used to bring hot, muggy days w/ sparse rain (May-June being the wetter
times). Last weekend brought storms and then some to Rockford, about 35
miles N of me. Sunday afternoon, 100MPH+ winds blew that place apart:
trees, power, poles of all sorts. At least one TV station had its 40 YO
tower dropped, but all three of them were off the air due to lost power.
Trees down everywhere. However, at my place I was out back putting in a
base for a Rohn 25 tower. I only noticed a "funny" look in the sky on an
otherwise hot afternoon of cement hauling/mixing. Got the base in using
7 bags of mix and just before the evening rain splash. Whew, I think
that's my last tower-hole job (lot of tree roots and clay this time)!

This tower thing just happened my way and it didn't take long to see
the possibilities for an improved flattop for next LF season. It will
lift my present Tee end point by 25 feet and make it horizontal instead
of Vee-like. Other possibilities are for a NE-SW loop, if I went loopy
and all-out krazy.

So I'm making some progress and rebuilding outside stuff. Also plan to
remake the flattop out of lighter AL wire and use AL spreader pipe (3).
I now have pvc spreaders and CU house wire for 3 strands. I also think
I'll eliminate pulleys for holding the Tee. I have one jammed with the
cord on my HiFER dipole. It looked like a "tight" one when I bought it.
Been thinking about using 1/2 in. x 90deg. pvc tees as replacement for
pulling the rope through.

Temporarily lost my equipment location in the basement of the house, as
a sewer problem required immediate attention and the surrounding stuff
had to be cleared out. Eh, really a forced house cleaning and now a new
operating bench for next go-round.

Ah Summer ... it feels good to be doing things (antennas) outside
again.

Peter, N IL