Tom,

All I can say is ouch.  Hope you can get this resolved.  I'll take a 
guess here and say that the weight of the coax (with maybe the extra 
weight of ice and snow) pulled it out of the pl-259.     I always do 
something to attach the weight of  the coax   to the center insulator 
with dacron rope, and leave a loop of 2 or 3 feet with the pl-259 to 
attach to the center insulator.   This way there is no strain on the 
connector itself.

 From what you told us on 40 today, I'm guessing that this thing fell 
down earlier and you charred it by trying to tune the amp into a length 
of coax laying on the ground.

Anyway that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

73, Steve KW3A




On 2/5/2011 8:36 PM, tom behler wrote:
>          Thanks for the round table report, Lloyd, and also thanks again for
> taking the lead this afternoon.
>
> I found out what the problem with my Windom was.
>
> After the round table was over, the XYL looked outside and found the feed
> line for the antenna lying on the ground in the snow.  The end of the
> feed-line, which originally was connected to the feed point via a pl259
> connector was all charred and burned.  What was lying on the ground was just
> the coax with the bare center conductor.  I suspect that the PL259, in
> whatever shape it is, is still up at the center of the antenna.
>
> My theory is that moisture must have gotten in there from our latest storm,
> and caused a short.  I can't figure out what else might have happened.
>
> I thought we had sealed the center connector well with coax seal and
> electrical tape, but obviously not.
>
> I'm not sure when I can get someone out here and up on the garage roof to
> lower the mast and check things out first-hand, so it may be a while.
>
> Fortunately, I still have my trusty Alpha Delta DXCC antenna, which at least
> will get me on 40 through 10 meters.
>
> Will look for everyone on 14.258 for the Cross-country blind ops net
> tomorrow afternoon.
>
> 73 from Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Lloyd Rasmussen"<[log in to unmask]>
> To:<[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 8:18 PM
> Subject: 40-meter Net, February 5
>
>
> The following 22 stations checked in today on 7198:
>
> W3IUU
> K1EIR
> WB9R, harold, Taylorville, IL
> WA9TOP
> WB9SLM
> W4HC
> KA9YIU
> KB8TYJ
> WD8INW
> K1EIC
> KW3A
> KB3UAK, Mark, PA
> KK2DOG, Mike, Watertown, NY
> VO1RYN
> WA1RTB
> K5TAH, Indiana
> KD8MWR, Lew, Cincinnati, OH
> WA4CNI, Dean, Asheville, NC
> KZ5AT, artie, (station in Erie, PA, remoted from Costa Rica)
> W2TAW, Tom, Vincenttown, NJ
> K2ALS, Steve, near Cooperstown, NY
> W8JOD, John, Youngstown, OH
>
>
>
> Lloyd Rasmussen, Kensington, Maryland
> Home:  http://lras.home.sprynet.com
> Work:  http://www.loc.gov/nls
>