Elecraft CW Net Announcement

[Kevin Rock]

Good Evening,
   I think winter has passed for the moment.  The last two days have been almost like spring!  But, remember, spring in Oregon can last from February until August :)  According to the forecast temperatures will get into the 50s with sunny days over the next week.  Quite a change from only a few days ago.  Early in the week it was 33 degrees and pouring.  That melted much of the snow and gave me a chance to fix my antennas.  Both of them were broken when I started the repair work because there had been a windstorm which broke the second one.  The higher of the two had been broken by a snow loaded branch falling through it which broke the feedline at the center insulator almost a month ago.  The same branch continued downward through the second antenna but did not break it; it only broke the center guy line and lowered the antenna by thirty feet.  That was the antenna I used for last week's nets.  However, it too was broken in the windstorm.
   With winds of thirty miles an hour and a steady downpour I got the extension cord plugged into the GFI outlet and put on some rubber gloves.  I grabbed a utility knife, solder, my trusty Weller gun, a set of linemans pliers, and a wire stripper.  I took along some wirenuts but did not know whether they would work; they did not.  So I was up on the roof rapidly getting soaked clear through.  Since I was going to be soaked one way or the other I stayed until the job was done.  The solder flowed medium well in the cold and wet and the joints were shiny.  I know I could do a better job but under the circumstances I did alright.  Plus antennas work better when repaired under inclement conditions.  That being said I should be able to work EME at 5 watts with my wire antenna!  
   The other antenna was not as difficult to repair but in relieving it of the branch I found the center guy rope had parted.  When it came free the weight of the line pulled the broken end through the tree and back down again.  I'll wait for dry, windfree weather to shoot that line back in place.  As it is the antenna got spliced with wire nuts but it is still a low doublet instead of a high inverted V.  I was too soaked to fight with that one anymore.  However, the upper inverted V was always the one with the best signal and the least noise.  Hopefully it will work well on tomorrow's net.  Yes net, not nets.  I have decided to cease running the 40 meter net until later into the season.  When propagation comes back with the lengthening days I will reinstate that net and hold it at an appropriate time.  Until then we can just take a little break from the frustration.  

Please join us tomorrow evening.
 
1) Hail signs  (first letter or two of the suffix of your call)
2) NCS help (as well as QSP/QNP <relay> help)
 
Sunday 2300z (Sunday 3 PM PST) 14050 kHz

   Stay warm,
      Kevin.  KD5ONS

-
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[Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy]

Hi Kevin,

Sorry to hear about your trials and tribulations, are you using pulleys and
a counterweight as part of your antenna's support "system"?

A "fused" counterweight that is allowed to disconnect from the hoist line
also works well as a protective device should a tall tree fall across an
antenna. I use #14 Flexweave for wire antennas, tough as old boots.

73,
Geoff
GM4ESD


Kevin Rock wrote on Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 4:57 AM

> Good Evening,
>   I think winter has passed for the moment.  The last two days have been
> almost like spring!  But, remember, spring in Oregon can last from
> February until August :)  According to the forecast temperatures will get
> into the 50s with sunny days over the next week.  Quite a change from only
> a few days ago.  Early in the week it was 33 degrees and pouring.  That
> melted much of the snow and gave me a chance to fix my antennas.  Both of
> them were broken when I started the repair work because there had been a
> windstorm which broke the second one.  The higher of the two had been
> broken by a snow loaded branch falling through it which broke the feedline
> at the center insulator almost a month ago.  The same branch continued
> downward through the second antenna but did not break it; it only broke
> the center guy line and lowered the antenna by thirty feet.  That was the
> antenna I used for last week's nets.  However, it too was broken in the
> windstorm.
>   With winds of thirty miles an hour and a steady downpour I got the
> extension cord plugged into the GFI outlet and put on some rubber gloves.
> I grabbed a utility knife, solder, my trusty Weller gun, a set of linemans
> pliers, and a wire stripper.  I took along some wirenuts but did not know
> whether they would work; they did not.  So I was up on the roof rapidly
> getting soaked clear through.  Since I was going to be soaked one way or
> the other I stayed until the job was done.  The solder flowed medium well
> in the cold and wet and the joints were shiny.  I know I could do a better
> job but under the circumstances I did alright.  Plus antennas work better
> when repaired under inclement conditions.  That being said I should be
> able to work EME at 5 watts with my wire antenna!
>   The other antenna was not as difficult to repair but in relieving it of
> the branch I found the center guy rope had parted.  When it came free the
> weight of the line pulled the broken end through the tree and back down
> again.  I'll wait for dry, windfree weather to shoot that line back in
> place.  As it is the antenna got spliced with wire nuts but it is still a
> low doublet instead of a high inverted V.  I was too soaked to fight with
> that one anymore.  However, the upper inverted V was always the one with
> the best signal and the least noise.  Hopefully it will work well on
> tomorrow's net.  Yes net, not nets.  I have decided to cease running the
> 40 meter net until later into the season.  When propagation comes back
> with the lengthening days I will reinstate that net and hold it at an
> appropriate time.  Until then we can just take a little break from the
> frustration.

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Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
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Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com