Hi Guys,
Here's some good news for a change...
I just tested the Ham III rotor that went crashing into my roof with a
christmas tree full of antennas above it on a 3-section push-up mast (11-el
2M beam, 23-el ATV beam and 2M-Isopole) and... the rotor still works
perfectly! Whew! What a relief! I would have thought that at the very
least the pot would be erratic! Smooth as silk! Fantastic! Really says
something about how well designed and built these things are... even though
it was made back in the seventies (or because of it)!
Put your hands on the radio and say... "Ahmen!" and, "Thank you CDE!"
The stack did a swan dive narrowly missing my TA-33/R-5 because... the
screw-eye
(with the wood screw thread) pulled out of the adjacent garage roof taking
with it the
two up-wind guy lines.
Next time... I'll use an eye bolt with a machine screw thread that goes
through the roof AND a 2 x 4 backing board between the roof joists. Then,
if the bolt lets go... it'll be taking the roof with it! I think I'll also
opt for a fourth set of guy lines. All too much trouble back then... so...
now look, I have double the work plus some!
Oh! If I only knew then what I know now!
More good news... everything is repairable and no one was hurt.
The golfball size hole in the roof made by the rotor bell housing was fixed
quickly with some aluminum flashing. Damn!, The rotor housing paint was
scratched!
Hope that sharing this story helps someone else.
Roger, K2JAS
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