[PVRCNC] [PVRC] AB-577 guy wires at VP5M

Mon May 29 10:06:41 EDT 2017

Good info, Rich. Good luck on your PR plans. The military grade almost all-aluminum AB-577 is a great mast for these conditions with only the minor reported glitches. We’re on a 100’ downslope to the north (sort of like K3LR in PA) but at the bottom of the ridge we’ve got thousands of miles of salt water between us and US/EU so actual antenna height isn’t very important. I keep the SteppIR at 30’ so mast/guys aren’t stressed. Harbour Rock is also a non-ham vacation rental villa so my family is an informal HOA to keep the fantastic view clear. (Or as my son says, “You’re not going to make this place look like the Voice of America!”) Never plan anything much more than we have although would like to add another gain antenna for the second radio on high bands. Right now we use a temporary pushup mast and 40-10 OCF dipole on the pool deck for the second radio. SteppIR with WARC coverage plus 80-40 trap dipole and a temporary 160M inverted L for main radio.  Switch everything with a Sixpak.

Have to make it easy for visiting hams so cables are rolled up and stored inside. Outside coax plugs are connected to each other with barrel connectors and everything then covered in tape. Can be on the air 80-6M with one radio in just a few minutes. We come down often enough for routine maintenance and corrosion spray.

73,

Jim, VP5/K4QPL

From: Richard Boyd [mailto:richardlboyd at gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2017 9:14 AM
To: Jim K4QPL <k4qpl2 at nc.rr.com>
Cc: John Laney <k4bai at att.net>; PVRCNC <pvrcnc at mailman.qth.net>; PVRC <pvrc at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [PVRC] AB-577 guy wires at VP5M

Right, I understand.  I have 14 AB-577s that we use for our W3AO FD annually.  Originally, I acquired four of those with the idea of getting my own Puerto Rico QTH (still a longshot possibility), and pondering hurricane survival, being unattended for many months at a time out of the year, etc.  My theory was an international shipping container or two on site and four AB-577s.  From W3AO FD and here at home experience, I think I can put up an AB-577 in 30-60 minutes, solo.  So I figured that was worth it for the peace of mind of figuring the stuff would be shipshape when I arrived the week before the next contest.  Presuming AB-577 takedown and storing-away on Monday or Tuesday after the contest weekend.

I figured really good permanent anchors in place and maybe some kind of permanent pins in concrete, etc. -- maybe bolts -- for the base.  The "Mormon clamps" (I understand they are called -- or muffler clamps for trucks) can be silicone sprayed and otherwise lubed for anti-corrosion, etc. purposes in a Caribbean environment.  Likewise all the guy and turnbuckle hardware -- something really good for storage so when you bring them out for the next contest they are easy to work with.

Your approach certainly can work too but yeah, I'd go to some other kind of guy hardware -- stainless cable or wire rope, really good turnbuckles and clamps.  I'd pay a lot of attention to preventing as much as possible corrosion issues, lubrication, etc.  Likewise on antennas, coaxial connectors, etc. except lots of corrosion issues.  It's theoretically possible the preventive maintenance that would be wise each visit will be equal to the effort of just putting it up, taking it down, and storing it away each time, etc...

Also, rotator and rotator wire connection issues, pay a lot of attention to your preventive maintenance on those too.

- Rich  KE3Q

.

-- 

Rich Boyd
301-430-5296 regular phone
301-980-7424 cellular

BACKUP CELLULAR NUMBER (My wife's cellular but please do call it when you need to reach me and can't reach me on the other numbers):  301-830-0471.

email:  RichardLBoyd at gmail.com <mailto:RichardLBoyd at gmail.com>    (don't forget the L middle initial in my name!)

direct link to me to send large files:   <https://www.hightail.com/u/RichardBoyd> https://www.hightail.com/u/RichardBoyd (no middle initial here.)

Thanks!

On Mon, May 29, 2017 at 9:06 AM, Jim K4QPL <k4qpl2 at nc.rr.com <mailto:k4qpl2 at nc.rr.com> > wrote:

Thanks, Rich, but not an easy task with an AB-577. Have to remove 5’ sections one by one with pesky clamps and an awful lot of “Armstrong” cranking up and down on the lifting elevator best suited for a field operation with 6 GI’s and nothing better to do. ;-)  Better to make permanent repairs on the guys.

From: Richard Boyd [mailto:richardlboyd at gmail.com <mailto:richardlboyd at gmail.com> ] 
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2017 8:38 AM
To: Jim K4QPL <k4qpl2 at nc.rr.com <mailto:k4qpl2 at nc.rr.com> >
Cc: John Laney <k4bai at att.net <mailto:k4bai at att.net> >; PVRCNC <pvrcnc at mailman.qth.net <mailto:pvrcnc at mailman.qth.net> >; PVRC <pvrc at mailman.qth.net <mailto:pvrc at mailman.qth.net> >
Subject: Re: [PVRC] AB-577 guy wires at VP5M

Suggestion... crank the ab 577 down between visits and store away the guy sets.

On May 29, 2017 8:28 AM, "Jim K4QPL" <k4qpl2 at nc.rr.com <mailto:k4qpl2 at nc.rr.com> > wrote:

A few months ago someone posted a warning about AB-577 guy wire shackles.
Sorry, in my old age I can't remember who it was. I had PLANNED to replace
them with new Phillystran guy sets when I had some time. Anyhow, when John,
K4BAI and I arrived at VP5M Thursday I saw one of the base guy wires on the
ground and the mast held in position against the Caribbean winds by the top
guy only! The bronze hook was simply cracked in half from metal fatigue.
Don't know how long it was that way but we made a temporary fix with a
ratchet binder strap and Friday morning we were at the hardware store to buy
new shackles for all the guys. A couple hours doing that.  Major SteppIR
disaster and a ruined contest barely averted.

To repeat the  earlier warnings, if you have an AB-577 with original
military bronze hooks, REPLACE THEM NOW!

73,

Jim, VP5/K4QPL

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