Over time, things up in the air change! I’d put together an ambitious to-do list!
Bobby WM5H and I rented a 55-foot aerial lift, because the 40-meter feed point is 12 feet away from the tower. With Bobby as ground crew and Scott in the bucket, we were able to complete:
- Repair 40-meter Yagi at 52-feet above ground. Problem was a fried balun connector.
- Repair 15-meter Yagi at 52-feet above ground. Problem was loose hardware connecting hairpin to driven element.
- Use lift to rework 17-meter tower
-Add back stay.
-Secure new hard line and control cable to tower, leaving loop for tilt-over.
-Replace rotator loop feed line. - Use lift to cut down storm-damaged ash tree in sections. This was more of a chore than expected.
- Trim a large pine tree behind shop, strategically leaving limbs for easy wire antenna support. Installed a pulley at 55 feet above ground on a limb.
- Install new 580-foot beverage wire for SW direction
- Install new 580-foot beverage wire for SE direction
At the end of the second day, some items remain to be completed:
- Move 80-meter Inverted-Vee from 77-feet to 105-feet. Extend feed line as required. Tie out ends as required. Modeling by KA5M shows 1-dB gain increase at 20 degrees elevation; should be a worthwhile change.
- Build new 160-meter ground plane vertical with elevated radials in new location. Tie top support rope off near top of tower. Run hard line as feed line to new feed point.
- Re-arrange several wire antennas supported by trees. Replace string with new antenna rope.
- For the two new beverage antennas, run feed line on the ground. Drive 2 ground rods, install transformer and feed point termination.