K5UJ wrote:
>I can't imagine building a tall tower that could survive an
extended blast of cat. 5 hurricane.
Category 5 is 155 MPH or higher. Chinook winds along
the front range of the Rockies are routinely 100+ MPH and a
few approach category 5 strengths. We had two over 140 MPH
in 1983(?) when I lived in Colorado (at least one was recorded
at 144 MPH in Boulder). My 150' Rohn 45 and 100' Rohn 25 stayed
up but the chimney of my house was blown over resulting in about
$20K damage to our family room.
The Chinook was howling around 5 AM so I went down to
check that the fire in the family room fireplace was not blowing
ashes around. Went back upstairs, could not go back to sleep
and heard a terrific crash around 5:30 AM. Went back downstairs
with a flashlight and peered into the family room to see the
chimney lying where I had just been 30 minutes before. Quite an
experience to then look up where the ceiling was and see stars!
All my KLM antennas stayed up but some were slightly
bowed in the elements. Of course I always parked my antennas
East during Chinooks because those winds were very predictably
from due West. Both my towers were guyed every 30' and had
no damage.
73, Bill W4ZV
P.S. W0UN probably remembers the state of shock we were in right
after this happened since he came over to hold our hands!
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