[OKDXA] Large Yagi Collapse

[Roger Simpson]

I just received today’s issue of W3UR’s Daily DX. In there he has a note regarding the collapse of what must be one of the largest amateur radio yagis ever put in service – namely the 80 / 160 meter duo-band yagi at the OH8X “Santa Claus” station. This yagi was on a 330 foot [100 meter] high tower and it weighed 40 tons!!! It collapsed in a wind what was estimated to be 78 MPH. 

I know many in the OKDXA have suffered antenna / tower failures due to storms. However, I don’t think any of us have had difficulties with our 160 meter yagis!! 

According to the story, the failure could be due to software which didn’t properly interpret wind direction sensors and then automatically turn the antenna in a direction so that it would have the thinnest cross section profile to the wind.  

The story is not real clear regarding whether the failure was “only” the antenna or it was both the antenna and the tower.  However, the story says “the tower WAS [emphasis mine] 330 feet tall . . . “ so I guess both the antenna and the tower were destroyed. 

I guess this is the last day for VU7AG. I’ve been stalking him on 30m, 40m CW but I have not even been able to hear him. I don’t know if he will be on one last time tonight (Monday evening Oklahoma time] or not. If so, then maybe I take another listen for him on 30m/40m. I will NOT be using a yagi on a 330 foot tower. My simple Inverted “V” would probably receive a signal that is many dB worse than that OH8X yagi or yore.   If that yagi was receiving the signal as S9 
[-73dBm] then for me I’d be hearing the signal as something like S1 [-121dBm] or worse. The only thing good about marginal antennas is that they don’t crash down from 300+ feet. 

73   Roger K5RKS